Chelsea transfer news LIVE: £34.3m Pedro Neto replacement, defender done deal, latest updates today

Hello and welcome to Sports Mole's live Chelsea transfer news blog on Sunday, August 23!

Xabi Alonso's men are in their final hours of preparation for Monday's Premier League West London derby against Fulham, prior to which outgoings have dominated the Stamford Bridge transfer talk.

Stay entirely up to date with the latest Chelsea done deals and rumours with our social-led live blog below!

Today's Chelsea transfer headlines

Why Joao Pedro signed new deal as 2034 extension confirmed

Chelsea contacted by Serie A clubs over attacking duo

Chelsea transfer news today: What's happening on August 23?

One of the most pleasing pieces of Chelsea business news on August 22 was Joao Pedro's contract extension until June 2034, with the 24-year-old Brazilian citing his relationship with the squad and Xabi Alonso's ambition as the reasons for committing his long-term future to Stamford Bridge.

Pedro was Chelsea's Player of the Season in 2025-26 after scoring 23 goals and contributing nine assists in 53 appearances, including 15 Premier League goals, and he is understood to have been rewarded with wages approaching the £200,000 per week earned by Wesley Fofana and Reece James, up from £125,000.

His contract renewal makes Levi Colwill the next priority in Chelsea's internal planning, with Fofana and Colwill both in the 2029 expiry group and the latter's importance to Alonso's system making him the natural next focus.

Staying in defence, Benoit Badiashile's departure was also confirmed by the club, with the France centre-back joining Napoli on loan, a move that satisfies Chelsea's need to generate accounting space and give the 25-year-old first-team football after a peripheral year.

Further forward, Jamie Gittens and Marc Guiu are interesting two Serie A giants, while Nicolas Jackson and Liam Delap remain two other obvious candidates for departure given both have been training away from the first-team group and are considered surplus to requirements.

Jackson's most likely Premier League destination remains Aston Villa, where Unai Emery is a known admirer and where an Ollie Watkins departure to Saudi Arabia would create an opening for the Senegal international on a permanent basis.

Despite already bringing in Morgan Rogers and Geovany Quenda, a string of attacking exits - including that of Pedro Neto - could also trigger a move for Juventus' Francisco Conceicao, formerly linked with Liverpool and Manchester United.