BREAKING NEWS : Chelsea will compete with a Premier League rival for a forward worth £70 million.

Chelsea are poised to enter a high-stakes battle with Premier League rivals—most notably Newcastle—for a £70 million-rated forward. Here’s the breakdown:

Target: João Pedro (Brighton)
Newcastle are front-runners in the chase but fear Chelsea may swoop in for the versatile Brazilian forward with a £70 million valuation

Chelsea have already initiated contact with Brighton regarding a potential transfer

Other Chelsea contenders for the ~£70m tag:
Player Current Club Estimated Fee Notes
Mohammed Kudus West Ham £70m release clause FA-approved clause active July; Chelsea in mix
Victor Boniface Bayer Leverkusen €70m (~£58m) Chelsea willing; priority No. 9 focus
Dusan Vlahovic Juventus £70m Potential swap involving Christian Pulisic; keen interest
Marcus Thuram Inter Milan £71m release clause Chelsea ahead of Liverpool & Arsenal in pursuit

What this means
Chelsea’s summer strategy: With the enigma around Mudryk’s future and Maresca’s clear intent to bolster the striker position, securing a marquee No. 9 is a top priority

£70m in context: This figure represents a consistent benchmark across multiple targets—Brighton’s João Pedro, West Ham’s Kudus, Juventus’ Vlahovic, and even Bundesliga/Serie A stars—highlighting Chelsea’s ambition.

Timeline & Stakes
Immediate moves: Joao Pedro discussions are already underway; Newcastle leads but Chelsea is mounting pressure.

Coming months: Kudus’ clause becomes actionable in early July; Boniface and Vlahovic negotiations could escalate as clubs firm up their summer plans.

In summary:
Chelsea is aggressively pursuing a forward in the £70m bracket, with João Pedro currently the most concrete target amid stiff competition from Newcastle. Simultaneously, other players like Kudus, Boniface, Vlahovic, and Thuram remain firmly on the radar.