Joao Pedro joins Chelsea in time for Club World Cup last eight - why so many forwards?

Joao Pedro has been playing in England since joining Watford from Fluminense in 2020 Joao Pedro could play in Chelsea's Club World Cup quarter-final with Palmeiras after completing his move from Brighton. The Brazil forward has signed an eight-year contract in adeal worth £60m. The 23-year-old flew from his homeland to the United States to undergo a medical and is now available to play against Palmeiras (02:00 BST) on Saturday in Philadelphia. The Fluminense youth product scored 30 goals in 70 games for Brighton after joining from Watford in 2023 for just under £30m, which at the time was aclub-record fee. "Everyone knows this is a big club with a great history," said Joao Pedro. "They had brilliant players in the past and have brilliant players now, so I am excited to join and you know when you are a Chelsea player you must think one thing - win." Chelsea have also had a £55m bid for English winger Jamie Gittensaccepted by Borussia Dortmund. But the 20-year-old would be unable to play for the Blues in the Club World Cup because he has already appeared in the tournament for Dortmund. Liam Delap, Mamadou Sarr and Dario Essugo joined Chelsea before the tournament and were all registered in time for the group stage. Brighton's head coach Fabian Hurzeler said: "This is a good move for all parties. It's an excellent deal for the club, and a good return on a significant investment in an area of the pitch where we have a lot of competition and are already well served in terms of our attacking talent. "It's also an exciting move for Joao - it gives him the opportunity to play Champions League football this coming season, and he will of course be keen to cement his position in the Brazil team before the World Cup next summer." Chelsea's deal for Joao Pedro takes their spending on initial transfer fees to £1.32bn in seven transfer windows, including this one, under their current ownership. The expected arrival of Gittens would mean the club's outlay surpasses £1.5bn in three years once you include potential add-ons. More than £560m, or 43%, of Chelsea's spending on guaranteed fees has been on 18 attacking players. Thirteen of those have made their debut for the Blues, with mixed returns so far. Chelsea have already assembled a big squad, with a value heading north of £1.4bn, and teenagers Kendry Paez, Estevao Willian and Mike Penders will join the club this summer having already agreed moves to Stamford Bridge. By buying younger players on lower wages and spreading the payments over long-term contracts, Chelsea's strategy is to unearth new stars and sell on unwanted talent for a profit. But their ability to further bolster their ranks may be determined by the Premier League's response to the sale of their women's team to parent company BlueCo for £198.7m - a process that put the wider business into profit. "If this is accepted by the Premier League, then Chelsea would have significant spending flexibility and another £200m is a possibility," football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC Sport earlier this month. "If it is excluded, then things will be far more challenging and they may have to sell before buying." Chelsea's finances will be boosted by playing in next season's Champions League, while they are set to receive more than £50m for their Club World Cup run. Once Chelsea's move for Gittens goes through, they will have added Gittens, Joao Pedro and Liam Delap to an already strong attack featuring Cole Palmer, Nicolas Jackson, Pedro Neto, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku, Marc Guiu and Tyrique George. It might feel like Chelsea are almost just doing deals for the sake of it, but there is a specific plan. The signing of Joao Pedro is expected to add competition for the number nine and 10 positions, with Nkunku expected to leave. Gittens will come in as a left winger and will replace Jadon Sancho after his loan spell from Manchester United was not made permanent. It's also worth noting that alternative option Mykhailo Mudryk remains provisionally suspended for a failed drugs test. Delap comes in to add competition with Jackson in the number nine position, with Chelsea having looked short up front last season. Chelsea are not forcing any of the players currently in the Club World Cup squad out but could accept substantial offers for Madueke or Jackson, who are not deemed untouchable like Palmer is at Stamford Bridge. It's worth noting that Chelsea have seven attackers for four forward positions, but we haven't mentioned the likes of midfielders Enzo Fernandez and Andrey Santos, who often play as number 10s as well. Meanwhile, the prospect of loaning out Guiu and George, both 19, remains open. The pair played a substantial part in last season's Conference League campaign, but Chelsea need to strengthen the squad now they are back in the Champions League. The likes of exiled attackers Raheem Sterling, Joao Felix and Armando Broja remain at the club and are all available for sale. Edu Rubio, former West Ham, Crystal Palace and Wolves coach: Some may wonder 'why this signing?' but for me, Joao Pedro is exactly what Chelsea need. He also falls into the category of young player with potential, to bring more revenue in a future sale, of course; but he is Premier League tested and proven, he is not a gamble. He can come short, hold the ball and link up play to help the team with their attacks. He can offer Liam Delap space for forward runs, which will stretch the opposition and offer Chelsea more pockets and options in the final third. Joao offers more of a much-needed presence in that final build-up than Nicolas Jackson. His ideal position is striker but he can also play as a false nine and offers Enzo Maresca more options. His work off the ball and physicality will also support the style and DNA that Maresca is looking to build on in his second year at the helm. Joao's stats in penalty kicks, assists and open-play goals are also impressive. He definitely brings a new game dimension to Chelsea. He has not gone past 11 league goals in a season so there might be a question mark there. Can he become a top player now that he is in a Champions League team?