Chelsea's latest signing, Joao Pedro, could make his first appearance for the club in Friday's Club World Cup quarter-final against Palmeiras, as the London side prepares to face familiar Brazilian opposition in Philadelphia. The 23-year-old forward, who joined Chelsea from Brighton for a reported 60 million on Wednesday, immediately linked up with Enzo Maresca's squad in Miami. The team has been based there during their preparations for the tournament's knockout phase before flying north to Philadelphia on Thursday.
"I'm thrilled to be here at Chelsea and ready to fight for every trophy," Pedro told the club's official website after penning an eight-year deal. "I'm looking forward to competing in the Champions League and helping win as many titles as we can."
Chelsea are hoping the former Fluminense player's arrival will provide a timely boost, with the prospect of lifting a trophy just over a week away should they progress to the final of FIFA's newly expanded tournament. The Blues previously beat Palmeiras in the 2022 final of the older Club World Cup format, though none of the players from that match remain at the club following a complete overhaul of the squad under new ownership.
Pedro, born in the state of So Paulo, knows Palmeiras well. The reigning Copa Libertadores champions from 2020 and 2021 could also be joined in the later stages of the tournament by Fluminense-Pedro's former club-if the Rio de Janeiro side overcome Saudi Arabia's Al-Hilal in their own quarter-final.
Chelsea have already endured one defeat to Brazilian opposition in the group stage, going down 3-1 to Flamengo. However, the loss wasn't terminal to their campaign. They recovered by edging Benfica 4-1 after extra time in Charlotte-despite a weather delay-to book their place in the last eight.