Tue Jul 01 03:40:00 UTC 2025: **Chelsea Secure Joao Pedro in Blockbuster £60m Deal; Set for Club World Cup Debut**

**London, England** – Chelsea Football Club has finalized a deal with Brighton & Hove Albion for the transfer of Brazilian forward Joao Pedro, in a move worth up to £60 million. The 23-year-old has agreed to a seven-year contract with the Blues and is already en route to the United States for a medical evaluation.

Pedro is expected to join new manager Enzo Maresca’s squad in time for the upcoming Club World Cup. Thanks to a player registration window, he’s eligible to play in the tournament and could potentially make his Chelsea debut in the quarter-final clash against Palmeiras in Philadelphia on Saturday at 2am UK time.

The acquisition of Pedro strengthens Chelsea’s attacking options, with the club viewing him as a versatile player capable of operating both as a center-forward and across the entire front line. It comes after Newcastle United had a £50m bid rejected.

Brighton stand to make a significant profit on the player they signed from Watford in 2023. Watford will receive 20% of the profit from this deal. The deal reflects Chelsea’s continued investment in young talent.

**Gittens to sign for Chelsea**

Chelsea are also on the verge of signing Jamie Gittens from Dortmund. Gittens will sign a seven-year contract at Chelsea after completing his medical. The fee to sign the 20-year-old is set to be €65m (£55.5m).

Gittens will not be allowed to play for Chelsea at the Club World Cup after already appearing in Borussia Dortmund’s first group game against Fluminense.

Brighton were initially reluctant to part ways with Pedro, but the player’s ambition to play at the highest level of European football and his desire to compete in the World Cup played a key role in facilitating the transfer. Internal incidents, however, may have been a factor also. In his time at Brighton, he scored 40 times and was their top scorer in the Europa League. The club will explore their options with Georgino Rutter, Danny Welbeck, Evan Ferguson and new signing Charalampos Kostoulas all available.

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