Chelsea agree £60 million deal to sign Joao Pedro from Brighton

Chelsea have agreed a deal worth over £50 million with Brighton & Hove Albion to sign Joao Pedro (h/t the Athletic).

The 23-year-old also attracted interest from Newcastle United, but he only wanted a move to Stamford Bridge.

Medical checks are being scheduled, and Pedro will join the Chelsea squad for the ongoing Club World Cup in the United States when completed.

Chelsea have already signed Liam Delap from Ipswich Town this summer. A deal is also in place for Jamie Bynoe-Gittens from Borussia Dortmund.

Move for Pedro makes no sense

The decision to pursue Pedro makes little sense for a club grappling with disciplinary issues.

The Brazilian forward arrives with a growing rap sheet that raises serious questions about his temperament.

Pedro has shown an alarming pattern of behaviour, from a three-game suspension for violent conduct to a training ground bust-up with teammate Jan Paul van Hecke.

He also escaped a few more potentially damning incidents.

Chelsea received the most yellow cards in the Premier League this season, while players such as Nicolas Jackson and Reece James demonstrated that they need to work on their discipline.

Adding Pedro to the squad is asking for trouble.

He is reportedly coming in as a like-for-like replacement for Christopher Nkunku, who was already surplus to requirements.

Chelsea did not need to replace Nkunku. They needed to reassess their squad structure and offload redundancies, not throw over £50m at another forward with baggage.