Chelsea’s decision to reward João Pedro after his first season at Stamford Bridge goes beyond handing the Brazilian a pay rise.
We explained earlier this month how the striker’s new agreement has already arrived for signature. That followed coverage that Chelsea had moved to improve João Pedro’s contract to muffle the interest from Barcelona and Arsenal.
There are now more details from Spain about just how significant that reward will be.
AS report Chelsea are moving João Pedro up their salary structure. His new wages will put him on the same level as Moisés Caicedo.
The Ecuador international received his own improved agreement in May. The Spanish newspaper presents both deals as part of a wider Chelsea strategy.
Rather than waiting for contracts to become an issue, the Blues want to reward players whose performances have significantly improved their standing within the squad.
Cole Palmer and Caicedo have already benefited. João Pedro is next, and AS says Estêvão is expected to follow.
Xabi Alonso personally reassured João Pedro
One of Xabi Alonso’s first moves after taking charge was to personally call João Pedro. The manager explained the important role he wanted the Brazilian to have in his team.
Barcelona and Arsenal both showed interest this summer. We already knew the two clubs had made their interest known. They were prepared to explore a deal worth more than €100m (£86.7m).
Chelsea’s response was equally clear. The Blues considered João Pedro non-transferable and had no intention of opening negotiations. AS now backs that up. For example, they say Chelsea effectively thanked both clubs for their interest and told them the striker was “not for sale”.
Chelsea therefore kept a player their new manager wanted and have now moved to ensure his salary reflects his increased status.
The striker’s switch from No.20 to No.9 also fits that picture. That change was already known and has been officially confirmed, but it provides another indication of the position João Pedro now occupies at Stamford Bridge.
One contractual detail doesn’t quite add up
There is one notable discrepancy in AS’s information. The Spanish newspaper says João Pedro’s agreement runs until 2032 with an option for another two seasons. Consequently, that would potentially keep him at Chelsea until 2034.
Our previous coverage from Brazil brought different information and considerably more detailed on this particular point.
We learned that when João Pedro arrived from Brighton, his original Chelsea deal ran until 2032. Moreover, there was an automatic option taking it to 2033. The financial conditions for that extra year had already been established.
After João Pedro’s excellent first season, however, simply activating those terms was no longer satisfactory to the player. His status and market value had risen considerably. He therefore wanted Chelsea to recognise that financially.
The two sides negotiated. As a result, Chelsea agreed to give him a bigger increase than he would have received through the original automatic option.
Therefore, according to ESPN Brazil, this will now be a proper new agreement running until 2033 instead of Chelsea simply triggering the old clause.
Given the level of detail provided from Brazil, we’d stick with 2033 for now while acknowledging AS have presented a different contractual structure.
In the end, what matters is Xabi Alonso has personally told João Pedro how important he is. The club rejected approaches exceeding the €100m (£86.7m) mark, gave him the No.9 shirt and have now moved him considerably higher up their wage structure. All that remains is the signature.
