Fabian Hurzeler has said he is not surprised by the impact of Joao Pedro following the forward’s move to Chelsea from Brighton this summer.
Brighton boss Hurzeler faces a reunion with his former player this weekend when the Seagulls travel to face Chelsea in the Premier League.
Pedro joined Chelsea in a £60m deal in the summer and has hit the ground running.
The Brazilian has five goals and three assists in nine appearances for the Blues and helped Chelsea to Club World Cup success in the summer.
Sending big birthday love to Joao Pedro on his birthday! 🫶 pic.twitter.com/vYBDdElCvd
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 26, 2025
Speaking ahead of this weekend’s reunion at Stamford Bridge, Hurzeler said Pedro is a ‘special’ player and admitted the forward was difficult to replace.
“Joao was a special player for us and it’s not easy to replace him one-to-one but we did it as team and we did it quite well.
“There’s always a process, new players have to step in, new young players with big potential have to step in. They have to prove themselves every weekend that they are ready for that but they need time.
“Second thing, of course, Joao is a special player. He proved it already at Chelsea in the first [few] games. He played well. He scored goals. He’s very good in position. He is a game changer for them. We have to defend as a team, as a unit. I’m sure we are capable of doing that.”
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