Chelsea have reached an agreement with Brighton & Hove Albion for the Brazilian striker, with the deal reportedly worth £55 million plus £5 million in add-ons. ..Continue Reading
He’s expected to sign a seven-year contract and join the squad at Stamford Bridge soon.
This move comes just two days after Chelsea had a similar £55 million offer accepted for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
If both players are registered before July 3, they’ll be eligible to join Enzo Maresca’s squad for the Club World Cup in the United States.
The Blues are set to face Palmeiras in the quarter-finals, following their dramatic 4-1 extra-time win over Benfica. Pedro will have several shirt numbers to choose from once he arrives in the U.S.
However, he won’t be able to take on the No. 9 shirt, a number he wore at Brighton, as it’s already been assigned to Liam Delap, who joined from Ipswich Town earlier this summer.
Pedro had previously worn the No. 9 since his move from Watford to Brighton in 2023. Before that, he wore the No. 10 shirt—another number that’s now unavailable at Chelsea, having recently been reassigned to Cole Palmer.
One possible alternative is the No. 21 shirt, which Pedro has worn while representing Brazil and could be available at Chelsea.
The versatile forward was heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United before Chelsea stepped in to secure his signature. It’s been a busy summer at Stamford Bridge, with the arrivals of Dario Essugo, Mamadou Sarr, and Kendry Páez, who joined after a deal was agreed two years ago.
Estevão Willian is also set to arrive after the Club World Cup, where he’s currently representing Palmeiras—ironically, the team Chelsea will face on July 5 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Chelsea will be without Moisés Caicedo for that match, as the Ecuadorian midfielder is suspended after picking up a second yellow card in the win over Benfica.
His absence could open the door for young Brazilian talent Andrey Santos to make his first senior start for the club.
Defender Benoît Badiashile will also miss the game after being forced off with an injury in the 70th minute of the last match.
On the bright side, Chelsea will welcome back Nicolas Jackson, who has completed his two-match suspension following a red card against Flamengo.
As they prepare to face Palmeiras—who eliminated Botafogo in the previous round—several Chelsea players are walking a disciplinary tightrope.
Captain Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto, Liam Delap, and Cole Palmer all enter the quarter-final with one yellow card each.
Another booking would rule them out of the semi-final.
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