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Ben Palmer

Fri 16 May 2025 21:00, UK

Chelsea’s latest move could see their payments to Brighton reach close to £300million since BlueCo took charge.

Since buying the club in May 2022 for £4.25billion [Sky Sports] Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have been aggressive and innovative in their transfer strategy.

Chelsea exploited a loophole that allowed them to sign players on long contracts, the currently unavailable Mykhailo Mudryk signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract when joining the club.

But even after the other Premier League clubs voted to close that loophole [Sky Sports], the Blues have not been quelled in their bullish approach to transfers.

Since taking over the club from Roman Abramovich, Chelsea’s owners have already paid £225million to Brighton on a series of mega-money moves [The Athletic], and with their latest planned foray, that figure could climb to as high as £300million or potentially more.

Chelsea planning move for Brighton star Joao Pedro

Having already signed Marc Cucurella in August of 2022, the Blues then recruited Graham Potter and five of his backroom staff to join the club in the following month.

Both those deals combined set Chelsea back £85million, and in the following summer, the Blues made Moises Caicedo the most expensive British transfer ever for £115million.

His then-Brighton teammate Robert Sanchez also joined for £25million, taking their total output to £225million, and that figure also doesn’t account for sporting director Paul Winstanley, who joined in November 2022.

Now, according to The Telegraph, Chelsea are showing interest in signing Liverpool target Joao Pedro from the south coast, who is also in Arsenal’s sights.

The Brazilian striker joined from Watford for £30million [BBC Sport] on a five-year deal in the summer of 2023.

If Brighton are willing to let Pedro leave this summer, they are likely to demand a fee that “far exceeds” what was paid for him two years ago.

What’s more, the Seagulls are in a comfortable position, having already signed new forward Stefanos Tzimas from Nuremberg in the January transfer window to replace Pedro.

Joao Pedro outlay could take Chelsea outlay to £300million

Given Pedro’s improvements during his time at Brighton (nominated for Premier League Young Player of the Season), his remaining three years on his contract and the interest from other English titans like Liverpool and Arsenal, it is easy to see that figure exceeding what Chelsea spent on Cucurella three years ago.

The 23-year-old is one of the Premier League’s most exciting talents and his versatility would make him useful as cover for both Cole Palmer and the pesky number nine position that seems to constantly need filling at Stamford Bridge.

So, if the Blues did splash £75million on Pedro and took their outlay to £300million, would it have been worth it?

Whilst Potter did not work out and was an expensive mistake, while Sanchez has failed to truly impress during his time in West London, Caicedo and Cucurella have been Chelsea’s two best players not named Palmer during their time with the club.

Its comedic at times to see a club send so much cash to one team, but Brighton’s meteoric rise has shown they’re doing something right, and the symbiotic relationship between the two seems to be paying dividends for them both.