Chelsea have completed the signing of 23-year-old Brazilian João Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion.
Pedro arrives for a fee believed to be in the region of £60m, just two years after leaving Watford for a fee of around £35 million.
The forward joins Liam Delap and Jamie Gittens as the Blues‘ attacking signings this summer and will be looking to contest for a place in the starting XI.
This player analysis will examine Pedro’s strengths and weaknesses, aiming to understand why the Chelsea recruitment team values him so highly.
We will also consider what he may be able to offer a club that is vying so desperately to get back to Premier League glory.
João Pedro Style Of Play
João Pedro’s playing career started in his homeland, Brazil, where he caught the attention of the Fluminense Academy.
Here, he made his first team debut, coming off the bench at just 17 years of age.
Pedro made a lasting impact in just 37 games for the Brazilian giants.
He scored 10 goals and soon caught the attention of European clubs.
After a battle between suitors, Watford FC won his signature.
He went on to play over 100 times for the Hertfordshire club, spanning one and a half seasons in the Premier League and two in the EFL Championship.
It was his second season in the Championship, 2022/2023, that he truly shone for Watford, making many reporters’ Team of the Season.
Pedro contributed to an impressive 15 goals in a struggling side, and the Seagulls swooped in soon after.
Over two years at Brighton, Pedro has been a mainstay in their lineup.
He has contributed 40 goals in just 70 games and has developed into a genuine Premier League threat during this period.
João Pedro is a versatile attacker who can play as an inverted left winger, a central attacking midfielder, or even a lone striker.
He stands at 188cm and has a good physical presence for this type of profile.
He shares a similar profile to Gabriel Jesus, who was similarly proficient in playing multiple positions across the forward line.
João Pedro Radar Chart
He is not a forward who thrives on constantly running in behind; he is at his best when given freedom in his play.
His profile suits being allowed to roam, dropping deep or into wide channels to collect the ball and link play.
In this regard, his play can be seen as similar to that of Roberto Firmino.
He is not yet a forward who delivers extreme numbers, like a Mo Salah or Alexander Isak.
However, we could see these figures grow and improve as he settles into one position and plays for a more dominant team.
João Pedro Technical Ability
Firstly, João Pedro is an excellent passer of the ball, capable of being both creative and retentive when required.
When collecting possession in central zones, he is very intricate with his passes and has a delicate touch for weighting them correctly.
His use of through balls, in particular, is brilliant, and he is useful in exercising this skill to progress play into dangerous areas.
As seen below against Bournemouth, there does not initially appear to be a dangerous pass on.
This does not stop Pedro, as he spots a clever run and weighs a perfect through ball in behind the Cherries’ defence.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) July 2, 2025
Pedro averages an impressive 3.6 progressive passes and 1.94 passes into the final third per 90 this season.
These stats reflect his aptitude in this area and are accompanied by his six assists.
João Pedro Goalscoring Potential
Secondly, Pedro is a skilled finisher.
Pedro’s expected goals this season in the league were 8.8, but he finished with 10.
That demonstrates his ability to convert half-chances into goals and highlights his potential to become a more effective goalscorer as he matures.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) July 2, 2025
The highlight above is a goal he scored against Sheffield United.
It shows how controlled yet powerful his finishes can be, as he manages to pick out the bottom corner with a powerful strike.
João Pedro Ball-Carrying Capabilities
In addition to his passing, Pedro is a highly skilled ball carrier.
He averages three progressive carries and 2.97 take-ons per 90.
Both of these stats place him amongst the top 5% of attackers in Europe’s top five leagues for those particular metrics.
Whilst he is relatively pacey, he is not an abuser of speed like some other forwards who thrive in take-ons.
Instead, he combines his high-level ball manoeuvring with an impressive nimbleness in close zones.
He appears to guide with the ball and makes beating men look easy.
He often uses a drop of the shoulder or a simple step-over to force them to commit before stepping past them.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) July 2, 2025
The clip above highlights his ability to manoeuvre the ball in tight situations.
Through his body movements and close ball control, he avoids the challenge of multiple oncoming defenders.
João Pedro Final Third Composure
Another aspect of Pedro’s game that visibly sets him apart on a football pitch is his recognisable composure and confidence.
He clearly backs his ability and feels confident in areas where other players may become doubtful.
This composure shows particularly in and around the penalty area.
Pedro is willing to take his time on the ball and allows himself an extra moment to carefully choose his next option before executing.
Because of this, he potentially also attempts passes or shots that others would not try.
This can lead to a goal being scored that should not have been, hence his xG overperformance.
— Footie Clips (@FootieClips) July 2, 2025
As we see above, there appears to be no danger from where Pedro receives the ball.
Nevertheless, he spots an opportunity.
He takes his time deciding on playing a calculated one-two to get in behind.
From here, his composure truly shows.
Rather than blasting it at the keeper, Pedro has the creativity to use the outside of his boot, caressing it into the far corner.
This great composure again shows up when it comes to taking penalties.
Pedro is a penalty-taking machine.
Out of the 19 he has taken in his career, he has scored 18.
João Pedro: A Big Game Player
João Pedro clearly comes alive in big games and shows even more determination to succeed than usual.
In just 28 games against the top six, he has nine goals and three assists.
This is even more impressive when considering that these fixtures were essentially when he was playing for a relegation side, all while he was under 23.
These statistics will give the Chelsea hierarchy confidence, as he is not one to hide in the inevitable high-pressure moments that come with being a Chelsea player.
It will certainly favour him well with fans if he can continue this, with the Blues fans forever loving Didier Drogba, partially because of his big-match mantra.
João Pedro Inconsistent Form
One criticism of Joao Pedro thus far in his career is his inconsistency in form.
Pedro is a confident footballer.
When he is on his game, he is a match for any opposition defender in Europe.
Despite this, he remains susceptible to periods of consistent underperformance, despite winning matches.
For example, he finished the Premier League season with five goal contributions in five games.
However, before this, he had gone six games without one, and his performances in these games were visibly below his level.
As we have briefly discussed, there are numerous potential causes of this.
One could be his versatility, which means he doesn’t consistently play the same position.
Another could be his confidence and immaturity, given his age.
While time will reveal the answer, the staff and the player must work to improve this element of his game.
At a club like Chelsea, good games don’t matter; good seasons do, and trophies do.
He will have to find consistency one way or another to deliver the latter.
João Pedro Anger Management
A final concern is that Pedro has shown signs of poor discipline, which has hindered his relationships with supporters in moments.
In December of last year, Pedro attempted to elbow Yehor Yarmoliuk of Brentford.
In April 2025, he was sent off for swinging at Nathan Collins of Brentford, and in May, he had a training ground bust-up with teammate Jan Paul van-Hecke.
The latter incident caused manager Fabian Hürzeler to drop him from the team, and many supporters were once again disappointed in his behaviour.
This move will attract much more media attention and pressure from supporters.
João Pedro will have to grow quickly and improve his temperament.
If not, it is unlikely that he will become a fan favourite from the suspension sideline.
João Pedro Starting Spot At Chelsea 2025/2026
Enzo Maresca starts games consistently with a 4-2-3-1 shape.
This is a very flexible set-up in which Maresca asks his full-backs to invert and his midfielders to move freely to challenge the opposition’s positional structure.
In this system, we would expect João Pedro to play primarily between the left-wing and striker roles, though he may be best suited to the left-wing or central attacking midfield role.
The outstanding Cole Palmer usually fills the number 10 role, and even if he moves to the right wing, Maresca has previously opted to play three deeper midfielders.
As such, he is likely to compete with Gittens on the left-hand side or with Delap and Nicolas Jackson up front.
He is probably best suited to the left-wing role, as this will allow him to collect the ball in deeper areas with play moving in front of him.
This would utilise his creative skillset, which could be diminished by playing at the highest point of the pitch.
It would also allow him to cut in on his right foot and unleash his shooting ability.
Chelsea have an unusual transfer strategy and focuses on quantity in recruitment.
This may make it challenging for him to start regularly, but with UEFA Champions League football returning, all of the clubs’ forwards are likely to get enough minutes to prove their worth.
João Pedro Stylistic Fit At Chelsea 2025/2026
Enzo Maresca’s style of play is very controlled, characterised by a relatively slow and intricate approach, as visualised below.
This will mean two things for João Pedro:
- Less space in transition as he will be up against deeper defences.
- More time in possession and more touches per game.
Overall, I believe these changes will benefit Pedro.
Pedro values being regularly involved and likes to touch the ball early and often.
Being on a more possession-focused team will allow for this.
Part of his inconsistencies could even be attributed to playing on a side that sometimes counters and sometimes controls possession.
This is needed at Brighton due to their lower relative quality.
At Chelsea, control is a must in every game.
The only concern under Maresca is that his positional freedom may be more limited than what he has experienced under Hurzeler.
This could prove a challenge, as he is used to roaming to collect the ball.
It will be interesting to see if he is forced to adapt to a more rigid structure or provided a bit more freedom, much like Palmer.
João Pedro Out Of Possession Contributions
Another way that he suits Chelsea’s current style is his out-of-possession mentality.
As mentioned, Chelsea likes control, and to achieve this, he must excel in ball recovery and retention.
Pedro is an elite presser and works tirelessly to win possession.
In the 2024/2025 Premier League, Pedro ranked 10th in final third interceptions per 90 minutes.
None of the players above him played for Chelsea, so he will add a dimension to the team’s previously lacking attack.
Conclusion
João Pedro is undoubtedly a very exciting signing for Blues fans.
His arrival at Stamford Bridge will bring flair, confidence, and link-up play that they currently lack in their attacking options.
At just 23 years of age, he still needs to find consistency and stability in his play.
Chelsea and Enzo Maresca will be challenged to make this happen with their current squad scenario.
However, should they achieve this, Chelsea have a talent on their hands with unlimited potential.
If he were managed correctly, he could easily become a superstar in the Premier League, much like his Brazilian predecessors, Firmino and Gabriel Jesus.
