Chelsea are reportedly interested in hijacking Newcastle United’s bid to sign Joao Pedro this summer.
The 23-year-old is expected to leave Brighton & Hove Albion following a dispute with head coach Fabian Hurzeler and Newcastle have emerged as the frontrunners to land his signature.
However, Chelsea are also long-term admirers of the Brazilian and they are contemplating a transfer hijack, according to The Sun.
Enzo Maresca has already added Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap to his first-team squad ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, however the Blues are still interested in signing another centre forward and Pedro has been identified as an alternative to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike.
The 23-year-old scored 10 goals and provided six assists in 27 Premier League appearances last season, and Chelsea could be set to launch a transfer pursuit.
However, the west London giants will need to act quickly as talks have already begun between Brighton and Newcastle over a €70 million summer deal.
Chelsea prioritise Jamie Gittens
Although Chelsea are interested in signing Pedro, their current focus is on finalising a deal for Borussia Dortmund wonderkid Jamie Gittens.
The Blues are hoping to bring a right-footed left winger to Stamford Bridge this summer, following Mykhailo Mudryk’s suspension for doping and Jadon Sancho’s return to Manchester United, and Gittens has emerged as their top target.
Talks are ongoing with Borussia Dortmund, although the two clubs are yet to reach an agreement over a transfer fee.
Gittens registered 17 goal contributions in 48 appearances for Dortmund last campaign and his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) currently stands at €68.3m.
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