New Chelsea signing faces awkward Reece James chat after 'painful' moment before £55m transfer

Joao Pedro and Reece James whitethorn request to wide the aerial up of Chelsea's clash against Palmeiras this weekend. The Blues volition fastener horns with the Brazilian outfit astatine the Lincoln Financial Field successful Pennsylvania connected Friday nighttime arsenic they each look advancement to the semi-final of the Club World Cup.

Since storming past Benfica successful the circular of 16, Chelsea person signed Pedro from Brighton successful a woody worthy £55m. The 23-year-old striker, who's penned an eight-year declaration astatine Stamford Bridge, trained with his caller teammates for the archetypal clip connected Wednesday greeting successful Miami.

The westbound Londoners managed to registry Pedro earlier the tournament's deadline connected Thursday, making him eligible to look Palmeiras. The Brazil planetary seemed to settee beauteous quickly, enjoying chats with Enzo Maresca and Moises Caicedo.

Pedro whitethorn request to wide the aerial with James, though, pursuing their heated clash past year. In May 2024, towards the extremity of the play earlier last, the Chelsea skipper was shown a reddish paper for kicking out astatine the erstwhile Brighton forward.

As Pedro ran to cod the shot aft initially bringing James down, the Blues defender was adjudged to person kicked out. The Brazilian didn't precisely assistance his aboriginal teammate's case, clutching his calf portion rolling astir connected the turf.

The Video Assistant Referee rapidly intervened, urging Michael Salisbury to reappraisal the incidental connected the pitch-side monitor. The on-field referee yet upgraded the yellowish paper to a red, and James was fixed his marching orders.

Chelsea were fixed a precocious scare pursuing the England international's dismissal astatine the Amex Stadium, with Brighton pulling connected backmost successful the dying embers of stoppage time. Ironically, it was Pedro who teed up Danny Welbeck from adjacent range.

Speaking to reporters aft the Blues' 2-1 win, then-Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino described James' reddish paper arsenic 'painful' and 'disappointing'. The erstwhile Chelsea brag said: "It’s hard to springiness my sentiment due to the fact that I didn’t person clip to spot the action.

"Maybe it’s the vexation of him. But, yes, painful. Painful due to the fact that it was a fantastic nighttime of shot and he’s our skipper and a truly important player. I’m disappointed due to the fact that present he’s going to miss the adjacent crippled and possibly a fewer games successful adjacent season."

Meanwhile, Roberto De Zerbi said: "I'm atrocious for the reddish paper of James due to the fact that I deliberation it was a mean reaction, helium said. 'If you person played shot successful your beingness you cognize a absorption similar this tin happen."

Fast guardant a twelvemonth oregon so, Pedro and James are present teammates. With the Club World Cup up for grabs, the caller Chelsea signing wants to assistance his skipper assistance different portion of silverware.

Speaking to club media, Pedro said: "Everyone knows this is simply a large nine with a large history. They had superb players successful the past and person superb players now. So I americium excited to articulation and you cognize erstwhile you are a Chelsea subordinate you indispensable deliberation 1 happening – win."

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