History repeated itself this summer at Chelsea because they’ve signed yet another Brighton player.
The Blues recently confirmed that they’ve completed the signing of Joao Pedro, 23, from Premier League rivals Brighton. He’s following in the footsteps of players such as Moises Caicedo, Marc Cucurella and Robert Sanchez to leave the Amex Stadium for Stamford Bridge.
Pedro is available to make his Chelsea debut during Saturday’s Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras.
The Brazilian attacker has been on an upward rise after spells at Fluminense, Watford and Brighton. Now, he’s taken the major step in his career by joining a Champions League club.
- READ MORE: The exciting prediction key Chelsea figures have already made about Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens
Troy Deeney insists Joao Pedro is no troublemaker
Troy Deeney, who previously played alongside Pedro at Watford, has delivered a glowing verdict on his former teammate after his move to Chelsea.
He has launched an interesting defence of the South American forward by insisting it’s a “misconception” that he causes trouble. Instead, he’s described as a very passionate individual who puts his all into everything.
Deeney told talkSPORT: “The social media clips that Chelsea have put out in training where he’s throwing his weight around already. He’s all or nothing, Joao. He’s an exceptional football player.
“I think the misconception of him is he’s a troublemaker. He’s absolutely not that at all. He’s passionate. He’s energetic. He wants to win. He wants to play every minute of every game. I think at Chelsea now you are going to see the real Joao Pedro. It’s one who enjoys competition, one that believes he should be starting for Brazil, and one that wants to show you guys this is who I am
“I’ve seen this player since he was 18 years old. The mentality has not changed one bit. It’s always been I want to be the best, I want to play for my national team, and I want to be the new R9 (Ronaldo Nazario).”
Similarly, Ben Foster is positive about Pedro’s move to Chelsea because he expects their fans to really enjoy his former teammate.
Of course, the Brazilian forward will have to deal with a different kind of pressure and level of competition in West London. It feels like he’s ready to take on the challenge, though.
Pedro wants to lead the line for Brazil at next year’s World Cup in the United States, and succeeding in Chelsea colours could help that happen.
Joao Pedro could be a surprise leader
It might surprise Chelsea supporters to hear that Pedro definitely possesses some leadership qualities that could be useful to their young group of players.
Back in January 2025, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler spoke about Pedro’s role as a leader. He told The Athletic: “He is already one of my leaders. He is in my leaders group. Therefore, I also treat him like a leader and I demand a lot from him.”
If Pedro can force his way into Chelsea’s best XI, it sounds like he could become quite an influential figure.
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