Chelsea sign £50m Joao Pedro: What can he bring to Enzo Maresca's team?

Chelsea have completed the £50m signing of Joao Pedro from Brighton. The Brazilian attacking midfielder could feature in the Club World Cup, where they face Palmeiras in the quarter‑finals, and is tipped to play a key tactical role under Enzo Maresca.

You blinked, and Chelsea have signed yet another reinforcement — this time it’s Joao Pedro, fresh off impressive seasons at Brighton. According to The Athletic, Chelsea will pay just over £50m to sign Joao Pedro from the Seagulls. The 23‑year‑old is expected to arrive on a deal that runs for up to seven seasons.

Since Todd Boehly’s takeover, Chelsea have pursued a strategy of signing numerous young talents each transfer window — players with room to grow and resale value. Joao Pedro ticks those boxes, and he also brings something new to Enzo Maresca’s squad. 

Why Joao Pedro could change the game at Chelsea

At first glance, he might look like yet another striker brought in to address Chelsea’s attacking struggles. But Joao Pedro’s skill set stands out. He can play up top as a traditional No. 9 or drop deeper as a second striker or attacking midfielder, drifting into spaces behind the striker.

At Brighton, he made his mark with clever off‑the‑ball movement, creating passing options and pulling defenders around to open room for his teammates. Apart from Cole Palmer, no one in Maresca’s squad offers that blend of vision, passing, dribbling, and tactical intelligence.

Joao Pedro – 1v1 ability, duels, creativity, shooting, dribbling, and link-up play.

pic.twitter.com/l8eP8NL4rL

— SHAYEE ? (@tier_first) June 29, 2025

 

This mirrors the role Firmino played at Liverpool under Jürgen Klopp — wearing No. 9 but functioning more as a false nine, pulling defenders out of position and enabling Salah or Mane to thrive. The aim is not to label Joao Pedro as better than Firmino, but rather to highlight the similar type of role he could play at Stamford Bridge.

How Maresca might integrate him

It is unlikely Joao Pedro was signed to be Chelsea’s focal point up front. Instead, expect him to operate behind a centre‑forward, drifting wide or centrally to connect play. At Brighton, he often moved to the left channel to create overloads.

Maresca favours prolonged possession to break teams down, and Joao Pedro’s positioning and movement would help create those passages — allowing players from deep, like full‑backs or midfielders, to drive forward. He won’t be the main attacking thrust but, strategically, he could be the bow that launches the arrow.

And, of course, he can finish, bringing direct goal-threat as well.

This article was originally published on Trivela.