Joao Pedro signs Chelsea deal through 2034, takes over No. 9 after 20-goal debut season

Some numbers carry more weight than others. At Chelsea, the No. 9 has been something close to a curse for years, and yet Joao Pedro chose to take on that burden anyway. He did it on the very day the London club confirmed what had already been in the works: a contract extension through 2034, with an improved salary, for a Brazilian forward who made his mark in England right from his first season.

Pedro's previous contract, signed just a year ago when he arrived from Brighton, ran through 2032 with an option for an additional year. Now the club has decided to stretch that commitment even further, rewarding a debut league campaign in which the 24 year old forward finished with 20 goals. That's no small feat for a player who arrived without much fanfare and still managed to carve out a central role in the club's plans.

Pedro made no secret of what this moment means to him. Here's what he said after the announcement:

I always dreamed of playing for a big club, and it means a lot to me to give my long-term commitment to this club. Chelsea has a long tradition of winning and has big ambitions for the future.Joao Pedro

The weight of the No. 9

The shirt Pedro now inherits became available after the departure of Liam Delap, one of the names, along with Nicolas Jackson, made available for transfer by new head coach Xabi Alonso. The Spanish manager has already made clear that Pedro will be his starting forward, while Danny Welbeck, signed in July from Brighton as well, competes for minutes.

Since Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shined wearing that number, thirteen different players have tried and failed to make the Chelsea No. 9 their own. Among them are as many as three signings who were club record fees at the time, including Fernando Torres, along with Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz, whose failed spell gave rise to what some fans dubbed the "Khalid Boulahrouz curse."

Will Pedro break that streak? It's still too early to say, but the credibility he earned in his first campaign and the confidence the club showed him with this new deal work in his favor. One curious detail, though: while he was locking in this new contract, the forward was left out of Brazil's squad for the upcoming World Cup, a decision that caught more than a few people off guard.

The first test with his new number arrives soon: Chelsea opens its Premier League season on the road against Fulham on Monday, the perfect stage to start writing his own story with the number that has caused so many headaches at Stamford Bridge.