Enzo Maresca. (Jason Mowry/Getty Images)
After a solid but unspectacular 2024/25 season—finishing fourth in the Premier League, qualifying for the Champions League, and winning the Europa Conference League—Chelsea are wasting no time in strengthening their squad once again.
Long known for their lavish spending, the Blues are back at it under Enzo Maresca.
Just a month into the transfer window, the club has already completed several signings.
They secured the services of Mamadou Sarr from sister club RC Strasbourg, Dário Essugo from Sporting Lisbon, and most notably, Liam Delap, who joined from relegated Ipswich Town and made an instant impact at the Club World Cup.
Adding to the influx, Brazilian prodigy Estevão and Ecuadorian wonderkid Kendry Páez have also officially joined up with the squad after completing their respective moves in 2024 and 2023.
And now, Maresca has welcomed yet another fresh face.
Chelsea Announce João Pedro Signing
In one of the fastest-moving transfers of recent windows, Chelsea have officially announced the signing of Brazilian striker João Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Linked to the club just days ago, Pedro completed his move in a deal worth £60 million and is expected to join the squad in the United States this week for pre-season preparations.
The fee takes Chelsea’s summer spending total to £117 million already—and it seems they’re just getting started. Further reinforcements, such as Lyon’s Malick Fofana and Borussia Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens, are also rumoured to be on the way.
Speaking for the first time as a Chelsea player, Pedro said: “Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history,” he said. “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 head coach Fabian Hürzeler confirmed the move and was pleased with the outcome.
“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,” he said. “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 before the World Cup next summer.”
Chelsea fans will now hope Pedro can deliver the kind of consistent goalscoring form that Nicolas Jackson has struggled to produce over the past two seasons.
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