Joao Pedro given immediate Chelsea headache as £60million man faces tough decision

Joao Pedro won't be donning the No. 9 jersey if he finalises his move to Chelsea - but he will be able to choose another sentimental number. The Blues have agreed a £55million deal, plus an additional £5m in add-ons, with Brighton & Hove Albion for the Brazilian international.

He is expected to put pen to paper on a seven-year contract at Stamford Bridge. This transfer comes just two days after Chelsea had a £55m offer for Borussia Dortmund forward Jamie Gittens accepted by the Bundesliga side.

If both players are registered before July 3, they'll be able to join Enzo Maresca'ssquad in the USA for the Club World Cup. The Blues, fresh from their 4-1 extra-time victory over Benfica, are set to face Palmeiras in the quarter-finals.

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There's a wide range of shirt numbers that could be assigned to Pedro. However, he won't have the chance to break the so-called 'No. 9 curse' at Chelsea.

That challenge has been taken up by £30m summer signing Liam Delap, who joined from Ipswich Town prior to the start of the US competition. Pedro has sported the No. 9 since his £35m move from Watford to Brighton at the beginning of the 2023-24 season.

Before his move to the Seagulls, Pedro wore the No. 10 shirt. That number is also off the table, as it was recently taken from Mykhailo Mudryk and given to Cole Palmer.

However, Pedro could opt for the No. 21 shirt, a number he's worn for Brazil on numerous occasions. The adaptable forward was strongly linked with a switch to Newcastle United before Chelsea stepped in.

The Blues are having another bustling transfer window, bringing in Dario Essugo and Mamadou Sarr, while Kendry Paez joined the club, two years after his transfer was finalised. Estevao Willian will also be joining the west Londoners following the Club World Cup, where he's been impressing for Palmeiras.

Interestingly, he'll likely be playing against the Blues when they clash on Saturday 5 July at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Chelsea will be missing Moises Caicedo in their match against the Brazilians.

The Ecuadorian midfielder will have to serve a one-match suspension after receiving his second yellow card of the tournament in the win over Benfica. This could pave the way for Brazilian wonderkid Andrey Santos to make his first senior start for Chelsea.

Meanwhile, central defender Benoit Badiashile will also be missing due to an injury sustained in the 70th minute against Benfica. Chelsea will, however, be buoyed by the return of Nicolas Jackson as his two-match ban following his straight red card in the 3-1 loss to Flamengo has now ended.

In addition to facing Palmeiras, who ousted Botafogo in the Round of 16, several Chelsea players are at risk of suspension for the semi-final.

Skipper Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Pedro Neto, Delap and Palmer have all been booked. Another yellow card will see them face a suspension for the last four.

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