Chelsea are set to strengthen their attacking lineup ahead of their Club World Cup quarter-final encounter with Palmeiras on Friday, having reportedly reached an agreement to sign Brazilian forward Joao Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion.
According to The Athletic, the 23-year-old is en route to the United States for a medical, with a transfer fee believed to exceed £50 million ($69 million). Once finalized, Pedro is expected to join up with Chelsea’s squad in time for the tournament.
Pedro joined Brighton from Watford two years ago in a club-record £30 million deal and has since netted 30 goals in 70 appearances. However, he was left out of Brighton’s final two games of the season following a training ground incident involving teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.
FIFA regulations permit teams to register new players for the Club World Cup knockout stage up until July 3.
Chelsea are also closing in on another signing, having reportedly agreed a deal worth up to €65 million ($76 million) for Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens, 20.
The Blues have already been active in the transfer market this summer, adding striker Liam Delap, midfielder Dario Essugo, and defender Mamadou Sarr to their ranks. Promising Brazilian winger Estevao Willian, 18, is also expected to join the club following his Club World Cup stint with Palmeiras.
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