Barcelona are waiting to discover whether Xabi Alonso views Joao Pedro as a cornerstone of Chelsea’s future before deciding whether to intensify their interest in the Brazilian forward after falling behind in the race to sign a dream Arsenal target, TEAMtalk can reveal.
Joao Pedro, this week named as the Chelsea Player of the Year, has enjoyed a hugely impressive first season at Stamford Bridge following his £60million arrival from Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.
The 24-year-old has delivered 20 goals and six assists across all competitions, firmly establishing himself as one of Chelsea’s standout performers during a campaign in which several other major signings struggled to make the same impact.
Chelsea have been delighted with how quickly the Brazilian adapted to life at Stamford Bridge, especially with other high-profile arrivals such as Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho failing to consistently deliver and are now facing uncertainty over their futures.
However, TEAMtalk understands there have also been questions surrounding Joao Pedro’s long-term situation – but unlike others at the club, those doubts have emerged because of growing external interest rather than concerns over performances.
Barcelona are the club now pushing hardest behind the scenes.
The two-time reigning LaLiga champions had identified Julian Alvarez as one of their dream attacking targets, but TEAMtalk revealed earlier this week that financial complications have effectively stalled any realistic move for the Atletico Madrid star, leaving Arsenal to slug it out with PSG over a move for the World Cup winner.
Chelsea themselves admired Alvarez, although their absence from next season’s Champions League placed them at a disadvantage in that particular race.
With Barcelona now pivoting towards alternative attacking options, TEAMtalk understands Joao Pedro has emerged as one of the names most appreciated internally at the Nou Camp.
Sources have confirmed that conversations have already taken place between Barcelona-linked intermediaries and people connected to the Chelsea forward, though any move to prise the Brazilian – this week left OUT of Brazil’s World Cup squad – will be far from straightforward…
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Those close to the player indicate Joao Pedro would be open to the prospect of joining Barcelona if the opportunity ever materialised, although sources have made it clear to TEAMtalk that the Brazilian has not actively pushed for a move or attempted to instigate interest himself.
Barcelona sporting director Deco is understood to be a huge admirer of Joao Pedro’s profile, though, and sees the Chelsea attacker as someone capable of helping fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski’s expected departure this summer.
The Brazilian’s versatility, technical quality and ability to operate both centrally and from deeper attacking positions are all attributes admired strongly within Barcelona’s recruitment structure.
When initial reports linking Joao Pedro with Barcelona surfaced earlier this month, Chelsea sources quickly moved to dismiss the speculation and insisted there was no possibility of the player leaving after only one season.
Internally, the suggestion was viewed as unrealistic given how important the Brazilian had become to the club’s attacking project.
However, TEAMtalk understands Barcelona’s current strategy is to first determine whether incoming Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso shares exactly the same level of commitment towards Joao Pedro as the club hierarchy.
Sources indicate Barcelona want clarity over whether Alonso considers the Brazilian absolutely central to his tactical plans before deciding whether there is any realistic possibility of progressing their interest further.
Despite Barcelona’s hopes, Chelsea’s current stance remains extremely firm.
TEAMtalk understands those at Stamford Bridge fully expect Joao Pedro to become a major part of Alonso’s new era and believe the Spaniard’s tactical structure could actually elevate the Brazilian’s influence even further next season.
As a result, Chelsea’s message to Barcelona and any other interested club is clear: Joao Pedro is not expected to be available and potential suitors should look elsewhere.
Despite that, we understand Alonso does want to sign a new striker this summer, and a £74m-rated frontman is expected to ‘bring the chaos’ should he arrive.
Over at Barcelona, their desire to sign Marcus Rashford permanently also complicates matters, though there has been a big update on the chances of that move going through on Thursday morning.
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