Arsenal ready to pay over €100m for Joao Pedro

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Cameron Smith | Digital Content Producer

Accredited sports journalist covering football since 2020

Chelsea are set to reward Joao Pedro with a lucrative new contract after Arsenal expressed their desire to pay over €100 million to sign him.

The Brazilian signed a seven-year deal upon his arrival at Stamford Bridge last summer, valid until 2032, but the club are already in advanced talks over fresh terms following his eye-catching debut campaign in west London.

The Athletic report that Pedro is in line to pen extended terms with the Blues, while Nicolo Schira has revealed that his new deal will run until 2033, with Chelsea rewarding the striker with an “important” salary increase.

News of Pedro’s imminent new contract has been backed up by Brazilian outlet Globo, who report that Arsenal and Barcelona have both expressed their willingness to pay in excess of €100m to secure the signing of Pedro this summer, with both clubs eager to bolster their attacking roster.

However, Chelsea have no intention of selling the x-year-old and they are reportedly close to formally announcing a new contract ahead of the 2026-27 campaign in order to ward off his suitors.

Arsenal have already signed Christos Tzolis to replace Leandro Trossard this summer, while they are in talks over a bombshell move for Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior. A new centre forward may also be targeted before Deadline Day, although an ambitious deal for Pedro will not happen.

Analysis: Joao Pedro to thrive under Xabi Alonso

Pedro enjoyed the best individual season of his entire career last year, notching 20 goals and providing nine assists across all competitions, and while he had never hit those numbers before, he’s highly likely to improve even further during his second campaign at Chelsea.

The Brazil forward, who was inexplicably omitted from Brazil’s World Cup squad, netted a hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers in Chelsea’s first official pre-season friendly earlier this week and with the Blues likely to be far more potent in attack under Alonso, it stands to reason that Pedro will be even more influential in the final-third.

The arrival of his former Brighton & Hove Albion team-mate Danny Welbeck will also help, given the pair thrived together at the AMEX Stadium, and if Cole Palmer is able to stay fully fit throughout the campaign, Pedro will be presented with even more chances to score.