26 May 2026 08:04 BST |
4 min read
Barcelona officials have travelled to London in a bid to progress talks over a summer deal for Joao Pedro, according to reports in Spain.
The Brazil forward, who was surprisingly omitted from his nation’s squad for the upcoming World Cup, enjoyed a sensational debut campaign at Chelsea and he recently won the club’s Player of the Year award after scoring 20 goals and providing six assists in 50 games during the 2025-26 season.
Pedro was one of very few positives in an extremely underwhelming campaign for the Blues and his form has alerted Barcelona, who are in the market for a new striker following confirmation that Robert Lewandowski will depart the club when his contract expires at the end of June.
Atletico Madrid superstar Julian Alvarez is understood to be Barca’s preferred signing, however a deal for the Argentina international is yet to reach an advanced stage and they have earmarked Pedro as an alternative target, as confirmed by multiple sources.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has insisted that Chelsea have no intention of selling Pedro after just one year at Stamford Bridge, while Ben Jacobs has claimed that Barcelona will return empty-handed in their pursuit of his signature even if they submit a world-record transfer bid.
However, Spanish reporter Gerard Romero, who specialises in Barcelona transfer news, has revealed that Blaugrana sporting director Deco, club scout Joao Amaral and club chief Bojan have all travelled to London in an attempt to engage in advanced talks over a deal for Pedro.
The 25-year-old is yet to express a desire to leave Chelsea this summer, but rumours of a move to Barcelona refuse to go away and the Blues will certainly be concerned by the possibility of Pedro departing before the start of next season.
Verdict: Chelsea cannot sell Joao Pedro to Barcelona this summer
The gap in quality between Pedro and back-up option Liam Delap was vast during the 2025-26 season and Chelsea can’t afford to dip back into the market for another striker this summer, with so many other areas on the pitch in need of addressing.
The appointment of Xabi Alonso has given cause for optimism heading into the new campaign, however such positivity will be hugely impacted if Chelsea agree to sell Pedro to Barcelona during the upcoming summer transfer window.
Selling fellow key players Enzo Fernandez and Marc Cucurella, amid La Liga interest, would be far wiser than offloading Pedro from a Chelsea perspective, with the Brazilian expected to play a pivotal role under Alonso next season.
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