FOOTBALL:- JOAO PEDRO JOINS CHELSEA AND COULD FEATURE IN FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP
Joao Pedro could play in Chelsea’s Club World Cup quarter-final with Palmeiras after completing his move from Brighton.
The Brazil forward has signed an eight-year contract in a deal worth £60m.
The 23-year-old flew from his homeland to the United States to undergo a medical and is now available to play against Palmeiras (02:00 BST) on Saturday in Philadelphia.
The Fluminense youth product scored 30 goals in 70 games for Brighton after joining from Watford in 2023 for just under £30m, which at the time was a club-record fee.
Chelsea have also had a £55m bid for English winger Jamie Gittens accepted by Borussia Dortmund.
But the 20-year-old would be unable to play for the Blues in the Club World Cup because he has already appeared in the tournament for Dortmund.
Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo joined Chelsea before the tournament and were all registered in time for the group stage.
Brighton’s head coach Fabian Hurzeler said: “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.
