Chelsea to hijack Newcastle's Joao Pedro bid?! Blues eye £60m swoop for Brighton star amid Jamie Gittens saga

According to The Sun, the Blues are considering a concrete bid for Pedro, although unlike Newcastle, they are yet to enter any formal negotiations. With the 23-year-old missing the final two games of last season and Brighton already lining up a replacement in Greek striker Charalampos Kostoulas, a move to one of the two Premier League heavy hitters is expected, and Maresca has signalled he is interested.

Chelsea are on the hunt for reinforcements in multiple areas, with Dortmund forward Jamie Gittens reportedly a priority for the club. Pedro is seen as a strong alternative if they can't land the BVB man, but he's likely to cost at least £60m.

Asked about the need for attacking reinforcements, Maresca said: "Jadon [Sancho] is not with us so for sure that is a position we need to do something. We have Noni [Madueke], Pedro [Neto] and Ty[rique George] only as the proper wingers. So something, for sure, is going to happen."

The recent £30m signing of Ipswich Town star Liam Delap may have strengthened Chelsea's attacking options, but the west London outfit is still aggressively pursuing numerous targets, including Gittens and Pedro. Meanwhile, Maresca is leading the club's Club World Cup charge in the States, with Chelsea facing up against Flamengo in their next fixture.