Billy Gilmour reacts as Joao Pedro shares emotional Brighton exit message
Billy Gilmour has reacted to an emotional message shared by Joao Pedro after the forward left Brighton to join Chelsea.
As Enzo Maresca looks to reshape his squad this summer, Chelsea were linked with Pedro, and officially completed their move on Wednesday, 2 July.
The Brazil international is set to link up with fellow summer signing Liam Delap for the West Londoners, and could help fire the Blues to Club World Cup glory this summer.
Pedro notched 10 goals and six assists in 27 Premier League appearances for Brighton last season, helping the Seagulls land a successful eighth-place finish.
Gilmour reacts as Pedro bids farewell to Brighton
Former Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour played alongside Pedro at Brighton before joining Serie A champions Napoli last summer.
Meanwhile, after completing his move to Chelsea on 2 July, the forward posted on Instagram: “I want to thank you all for the past two years we’ve been together, for all the support and great memories that we created, it was a pleasure and a privilege to work with this team.”
Pedro’s message attracted a like from Gilmour, who will be looking forward to representing Napoli in the Champions League next season.
Charalampous Kostoulas under pressure as Pedro joins Chelsea
Football Insider verdict
Pedro has proven his attacking prowess for Brighton throughout the last two seasons, scoring 30 goals in 70 appearances across all competitions.
| Joao Pedro stats | Premier League 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 6 |
Meanwhile, Brighton are set to sell Evan Ferguson at a cut price after he endured an underwhelming loan stint with West Ham United last season, failing to score in eight appearances.
While fellow striker Danny Welbeck performed well last season, allowing Ferguson to leave as well as Pedro would put summer addition Charalampous Kostoulas under pressure to deliver the goods.
The 18-year-old scored seven goals in 35 appearances for his former club Olympiacos last season, while he is now tasked with bridging the gap between the Greek Super League and the Premier League.
Brighton’s recruitment model has proven to be extremely effective since the Seagulls won promotion from the Championship back in 2017, but acquiring Kostoulas as Pedro’s replacement appears to be a risky piece of business from Fabian Hurzeler’s men.