Chelsea have signed forward, Joao Pedro from Brighton for £60m on a seven-year contract until June 2032.
Pedro had been heavily linked with a move to last season’s Carabao Cup champions, Newcastle United but instead opted to join Chelsea with the lure of living in London.
Enzo Maresca’s Blues subsequently negotiated a £60m deal with Brighton for the 23-year-old Brazil international, which consisted of an initial £55m transfer fee plus a further £5m in add-ons, with Pedro having accepted a seven-year contract until June 2032.
The Brazilian could make his debut for Chelsea in their FIFA Club World Cup Quarter-Final against Palmeiras on Saturday 5 July (2am BST).
“Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history,’ commented Pedro on Chelsea’s status in the sport. “They had brilliant players in the past and have brilliant players now. So I am excited to join and you know when you are a Chelsea player you must think one thing — win.”
Brighton manager, Fabian Hurzeler added: “This is 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.
“It’s also an exciting move for Joao: 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 has given us some wonderful moments – during my time and before I came to the club – so on behalf of everyone I would like to thank him for his service over the past two seasons and wish him the best for the future.”
Pedro began his career at Fluminense where he graduated through their academy and scored 10 goals in 37 appearances, before he moved to Watford in January 2020 where he netted 24 goals in 109 appearances across four seasons.
During his spell at Vicarage Road, the Hornets were promoted from Championship to Premier League at the end of 2020-21 season, only to be immediately relegated back to the second tier at the end of the following campaign although he stayed with the club in 22-23 season.
Summer 2023 saw Pedro join Brighton in what proved to be his breakthrough season in English football with 20 goals in 40 appearances, before he endured a tougher 24-25 campaign with just 10 goals in 30 appearances following Fabian Hürzeler’s arrival as manager.
Pedro represents Brazil at international level and made his senior debut as a substitute in a 2-1 loss to Colombia in November 2023, before he went on to make two further appearances for his country so far in his career.
