Joao Pedro: Chelsea confirm £60m signing as summer spending continues | OneFootball

Brazilian forward could make his debut in Friday’s Club World Cup quarter-final

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Chelsea have signed Brighton forward Joao Pedro for £55million plus £5m in add-ons in a seven-year deal.

The 23-year-old forward joins the Blues after rejecting serious advances from Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United. He underwent a medical in America this week after flying from Brazil to the States on Sunday evening.

Pedro joins the likes of Liam Delap, Estevao, Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr and Kendry Paez as Chelsea summer arrivals thus far as the club seek to bolster their forward line ahead of the new season. A £55m deal for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens is also nearing completion.

Chelsea can register players for the Club World Cup until July 3, meaning Pedro could debut as early as Saturday morning, when the Blues face Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.

The Brazilian, who can play across the front line, scored 10 goals and added a further assists in 27 Premier League games last season, and has 40 goal contributions in all competitions across 70 games during his two years at Brighton.

He continued, bidding farewell to the Brighton faithful: “I want to thank you all for the past two years we’ve been together, for all the support and great memories that we created, it was a pleasure and a privilege to work with this team."

He is expected to replace Christopher Nkunku as a jack-of-all-trades forward, with the Frenchman edging towards the exit door this summer.

Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler called the deal a ‘good move for all parties’.

“It’s an excellent deal for the club, and a good return on a significant investment in an area of the pitch where we have a lot of competition and are already well served in terms of our attacking talent,” the German explained.

“It’s also an exciting move for João. It gives him the opportunity to play Champions League football this coming season, and he will, of course, be keen to cement his position in the Brazil team ahead of the World Cup next summer."

Joao Pedro’s introduction to English football came in 2019 when Watford, who will be due 20 per cent of the profit from Brighton’s sale to Chelsea, signed the forward from Brazilian side Fluminense.

After spending four years at Vicarage Road, Pedro made a £35m switch to Brighton in 2023.

Pedro’s signing brings Chelsea’s spending on Brighton players to £260m in the last three years.