Chelsea insist Joao Pedro is not for sale as Barcelona push €70m bid

Chelsea have issued an emphatic rejection of Barcelona’s pursuit of Joao Pedro, insisting the 24-year-old striker is not available for transfer this summer at any price, according to reporter Ben Jacobs.

Barcelona sporting director Deco flew to London alongside Bojan Krkic and Joao Amaral to hold direct talks with Pedro’s representatives, per Jijantes (via MD). The visit signals a significant escalation in the Catalans’ efforts to land a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, whose departure from the club at the end of the 2025-26 season has been confirmed.

Barcelona believe a deal for Pedro could be struck for around €70m, and they have set a maximum budget of €100m for a new striker. The club are working on two primary targets — Pedro and Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez — with Deco now actively pursuing both options ahead of the summer window.

The Spanish club’s optimism is partly rooted in Pedro’s personal situation. Chelsea finished the 2025-26 Premier League season in tenth place, missing out on European football entirely, and Barcelona believe the forward is eager to make the move to the Spotify Camp Nou as a result.

Chelsea, however, are not entertaining that logic. The club regard Pedro as one of their most important players and have communicated internally that no sale will be sanctioned regardless of the fee offered — a position that, if it holds, would effectively end Barcelona’s pursuit before it formally begins.

Whether that stance proves durable remains to be seen. Barcelona’s own budget ceiling of €100m may fall short of what Chelsea would demand even in a hypothetical negotiation, and the club could be forced to redirect their focus to Álvarez or other targets if Pedro remains unavailable. Should Pedro himself push for a move, however, Chelsea’s position could yet shift before the window closes.