Chelsea ‘Ready £50 Million Bid’ to Beat Man Utd to Premier League Striker | OneFootball

Chelsea are reported to be readying a bid of £50 million ($67.1 million) for Brighton & Hove Albion striker João Pedro.

The 23-year-old has enjoyed a productive campaign for Brighton, racking up 10 goals and six assists to attract interest from a number of Premier League sides. Alongside Chelsea, both Arsenal and Liverpool have been named as suitors.

After Pedro missed Brighton‘s 3–2 win over Liverpool for what manager Fabian Hürzeler described as “private reasons”—The Athletic claim he was dropped for a training ground altercation with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke—reports emerged suggesting Brighton would be prepared to cash in on Pedro for a fee of around £59 million ($79.2 million).

The Daily Mail claim Chelsea officials held a meeting about a possible move for Pedro earlier this week and are now prepared to bid £50 million for the Brazil international, possibly even using players as part of a swap deal to try and drive the price down.

Pedro is one of many targets of interest to Chelsea. / IMAGO/Pro Sports Images

Such an offer would fall short of Brighton’s demands and the Seagulls may hope to spark a bidding war between Pedro’s other suitors. They are under no immediate pressure to sell, with the versatile forward under contract until 2028.

Just where Pedro ranks on Chelsea’s striker shortlist remains to be seen. The Blues are known admirers of Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap but face significant competition for the forward, who is widely thought to be available for £30 million ($40.3 million).

Braced for a battle to sign a new striker this summer, Chelsea have a long list of potential targets and will be hopeful of formally starting the search once their Champions League fate is revealed. Enzo Maresca’s side must beat Nottingham Forest on the final day of the Premier League season to be assured of a place in Europe’s top competition.