Chelsea have finalised a £60 million deal to secure the services of Brighton forward Joao Pedro.
The 23-year-old Brazilian is set to put pen to paper on a seven-year contract and is in line to feature at the upcoming FIFA Club World Cup.
He is currently en route from Brazil to undergo a medical in the United States, with hopes of making his debut in Friday’s quarter-final clash against Palmeiras (BST 02:00) in Philadelphia.
Newcastle United were reportedly in the race to sign the attacker, but Brighton rejected two separate offers from unnamed Premier League clubs before eventually agreeing a £55 million fee plus £5 million in add-ons with Chelsea.
Pedro’s move comes shortly after Chelsea reached a £55 million agreement with Borussia Dortmund to bring in English winger Jamie Gittens on Saturday, just hours before their victory over Benfica secured a place in the Club World Cup quarter-finals.
However, Gittens won’t be eligible to participate in the tournament under Enzo Maresca, as he has already featured for Dortmund.
Joao Pedro heads to Stamford Bridge after a prolific two-year stint at Brighton, where he netted 30 goals and supplied 10 assists in 70 appearances.
He initially joined the Seagulls in a club-record £30 million switch from Watford in 2023.
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler opted not to include Pedro in their season-ending Premier League fixture against Tottenham due to a “small issue.”
