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Joao Pedro reportedly only wants to sign for Chelsea amid interest from Newcastle, with the Blues said to have reached an agreement with Brighton to sign the star for more than £50million. The west London giants are on the hunt for fresh talent as they prepare for their return to the Champions League next season.

Chelsea have been incredibly active in the transfer market since a consortium led by Todd Boehly bought the club from Roman Abramovich in May 2022. This summer alone, the Blues have brought in Liam Delap, Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr, with Brazilian youngsters Estevao Willian and Kendry Paez also set to touch down in England ahead of the new campaign. But it appears Enzo Maresca is hungry for even more talent after guiding his side to the Club World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday evening.

Chelsea have reportedly struck a £55million transfer agreement to land Jamie Gittens from Borussia Dortmund over the weekend and are lining up Pedro as their next signing.

The Blues have faced competition from Newcastle for Pedro's signature, with Eddie Howe clearly keen to bolster his strike force with the addition of the Brazil international.

But on Sunday evening, The Athletic reported that Chelsea and Brighton have reached an agreement over the fee north of £50m. Personal terms are in place and the player will sign a seven-year contract in the capital. Chelsea are the only club Pedro wants to join, and a medical is currently being arranged.

Newcastle reportedly had a £50m offer for Pedro turned down earlier on, with Magpies striker Alexander Isak currently linked with a move to Liverpool.

And Brighton forward coach Bobby Zamora spoke about Pedro over the weekend as he explained: "Joao is hungry. He wants to be playing for Brazil, he wants to be playing for that national side. And to be in that elite, you have to be playing week in, week out in the Premier League and scoring goals.

"Joao certainly has the capabilities. A fantastic player, a massive talent, and I'm sure there's more to come from him."

Pedro has bagged 30 goals and 10 assists in 70 appearances for Brighton since joining the club from Watford in 2023.

He starred in the Premier League last season and helped his side finish eighth as the Seagulls lost just nine times in the top flight.

The 23-year-old was forced to miss his side's final two matches, however, following an alleged training ground altercation with team-mate Jan Paul van Hecke.

The incident was ultimately played down by Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler ahead of his team's final game of the season at Tottenham, as he maintained it had been dealt with internally and that the matter was "closed".