Barcelona planning Lewandowski succession
Barcelona is exploring the transfer market to sign a long-term successor to Robert Lewandowski as the club prepares for the next phase of its attacking project.
Two primary targets of the Catalan giants to succeed Robert Lewandowski are Julian Alvarez and Joao Pedro.
Deco travels to London for talks
Deco and members of Barcelona's sporting department have recently travelled to London to hold discussions with the camp of Brazilian striker Joao Pedro regarding a potential summer move, as Atletico Madrid continue their firm stance against a possible Barcelona move for Julián Álvarez.
Joao Pedro is willing to join Barcelona, as he sees the team has a more competitive sporting project to compete in the Champions League than Chelsea, according to a report from SPORT.
Fabrizio Romano also confirmed the player's willingness to join Barcelona, but Chelsea's stance is making the deal difficult for the Catalans; the Londoners made it clear that Joao Pedro is an untouchable player for Chelsea despite interests.
Chelsea will refuse to discuss transfer
For Chelsea it's not about price, but they have no intention to sell the player even if they receive lucrative bids worth €100 million or €150 million because they see Joao Pedro as a key figure in their long-term project, so the club have no intention of opening discussions over a potential transfer.
Xabi Alonso backs Chelsea stance
The appointment of Xabi Alonso has not changed Chelsea’s position on the player, who remains untouchable at the club.
João Pedro was Chelsea’s top scorer in the 2025–26 season with 15 Premier League goals and 20 goals across all competitions despite other players struggling to maintain consistency during a season marked by poor results and managerial instability.
Joao Pedro's presence in the false 9 role was key to Chelsea's triumph in the Club World Cup, where the Brazilian scored 3 goals, including one in the final against PSG.
Barcelona continue parallel pursuit
Despite Chelsea’s firm stance, Barcelona will continue to attempt to sign the player in parallel with the Julian Alvarez deal because they do not want to end up in a situation where they lose both players.