Chelsea striker Joao Pedro wants to go to Barcelona in the summer transfer window. And Xabi Alonso can let him leave. At least one source reports that. The problem? Both Fabrizio Romano and BBC Sport have completely different information about the Brazilian.
Joao Pedro has been Chelsea’s best player this season. Since joining from Brighton in the summer of 2025, he has delivered 23 goals and nine assists in 52 appearances for the London club. This season alone, he stands with 15 goals and five assists – in 30 games from the start and four substitutes.
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Barcelona want him – Deco has met the agents
Barcelona want to sign Joao Pedro until the summer of 2026. Robert Lewandowski is leaving, and the Spanish champions believe the Brazilian is the perfect successor to the Polish superstar.
Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has already sat in meetings with Joao Pedro’s representatives. According to the newspaper AS, the meetings have taken place in London, and the message from the player’s side is crystal clear: He wants to go to Spotify Camp Nou. Price tag? 75 million euros – about 65 million pounds.
The newspaper writes the following: “Deco met on Thursday in London with the representatives handling Joao Pedro’s affairs. On the table was a potential signing for the Catalan club. Two simple messages came out. The 24-year-old Brazilian will become a Barcelona player next season. The second message, however, was that the mission is almost impossible. Apart from Barcelona’s financial situation, Chelsea seem reluctant to let the Brazilian leave just one year after they bought him from Brighton for €65 million. Now his market value is 75 million euros.”
Alonso can open the door – if he doesn’t want to be there
Xabi Alonso has been appointed as the new manager of Chelsea and will officially start on 1 July. The Spaniard left Real Madrid in January. According to AS, Alonso can let Joao Pedro leave if he does not want to stay. The newspaper adds: “If, on the other hand, and acknowledging the problems he had in Madrid, he does not want disgruntled players, he can open the door for him.”
BBC: He’s happy at Chelsea – not for sale
But here there is a row in the transfer rumours. BBC Sports journalist Nizaar Kinsella says something completely different on social media: “Not only is Joao Pedro considered not to be for sale, he is also happy at Chelsea – even if he is not happy with the club’s position in the table right now. He grew up watching the Premier League, that’s why he chose Watford, and when he says it’s a dream to play for Chelsea, he means it. Barcelona can admire him, but they are aware that he is not a realistic target and have other strikers in mind.”
Romano: Chelsea won’t sell – neither now nor under Alonso
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has no doubts. He said the following on his YouTube channel on May 18: “What I can tell you is that despite the meeting, despite the contacts – because there is no doubt, and it is the reality that Barcelona is in contact with people close to Joao Pedro, because Barcelona likes the player, because Barcelona loves the player, and because Barcelona understands that the situation around Julián Álvarez is completely blocked.”
Romano adds: “So for now, the understanding is that yes, Barcelona like Joao Pedro and have had some conversations with people close to Joao Pedro – that’s true. But right now, Chelsea’s position is very clear. They want Joao Pedro to be an important part of the squad. Not only for the present, as he already is, but also for the future. And they want Joao Pedro to be a crucial part of the squad under Xabi Alonso as well. Chelsea believe that Joao Pedro can be fantastic under Xabi Alonso – as he already was in a complicated season. They can imagine that Joao can do even better with Xabi Alonso. So that’s Chelsea’s position.”
In short: Joao Pedro might want to leave. Barcelona want him. But Chelsea have zero plans to sell. And with Alonso at the helm, the London club believe he will only get even better.
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