With Xabi Alonso set to come in, there is a ton of excitement around Chelsea right now. For the first time in the BlueCo era, they have made the popular choice when it comes to appointing a manager. Now, it remains to be seen if it is the correct one. Going into the summer transfer window, the aim has to be to strengthen. But at the same time, some of the club’s best players are being linked with moves away.
Enzo Fernandez was the star of the show against Tottenham Hotspur with a goal and an assist. His future is uncertain. Reports in Spain have claimed that Marc Cucurella will join Barcelona or Atletico Madrid this summer. And now, there is another key starter who could possibly be on the move.
That is none other than Joao Pedro. Chelsea’s player of the season is wanted by Barcelona as an alternative to Julian Alvarez.
According to Simon Phillips, Pedro has told his agents that he was keen on a move to Barcelona. He has also spoken with Raphinha about it. The player is not ‘unhappy’ at Chelsea, but a chance to join Barca is hard to resist for any player. The Blues’ stance remains that he is not available.
Barcelona remain interested in Joao Pedro despite Chelsea stance
The report further goes on to state that Barcelona are still looking to make an offer to sign Pedro ahead of the World Cup. That is regardless of Chelsea’s stance on the situation.
The issue for Barcelona might be that it was just last summer that Chelsea signed Pedro. He has a long time left on his contract. They will run into the same issues that they have with their pursuit of Alvarez.
Just like Alvarez, Pedro’s current club, Chelsea, do not want to part ways and will look for a significant transfer fee, potentially in the region of €100 million, if there is to be any chance of it happening. So, this just does not feel like a move that is on the cards.
Joao Pedro exit would send wrong message ahead of Xabi Alonso arrival
There is finally some positivity around Chelsea. So, if the club let their player of the season leave ahead of Alonso’s arrival, it would be a terrible look.
It is very clear that Chelsea do care about the optics right now. That is why the fact that Alonso has been named manager, and not head coach, has been underlined time and again in the media.
So, do not expect them to sanction Pedro’s exit unless he pushes for it. And at this point, it does not feel like he is desperate for a move, just interested.
Sourav Mahanty
Sourav Mahanty has covered teams like Chelsea, Celtic, Real Madrid, Manchester United, PSG and more over a career that has now lasted a decade. His work has been featured on Sports Illustrated, Athlon Sports, SB Nation, FanSided, The Sportster and aggregated through Bleacher Report and NewsNow. Outside of football, he is also interested in basketball, cricket and professional wrestling.
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