Chelsea have made clear they have absolutely no intention of selling Joao Pedro this summer, according to sources close to the club.
Barcelona have been credited with a strong interest in the Brazilian forward following an impressive debut campaign at Stamford Bridge for the former Brighton man.
Joao Pedro scored 20 goals in all competitions during his first season with Chelsea, establishing himself as one of the club’s most important attacking players.
Despite his excellent form, the Brazil international was surprisingly left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad this summer, which raised eyebrows across the football world.
Barcelona are actively looking to replace the departing Robert Lewandowski and have identified Joao Pedro as a potential option to fill that role at the Camp Nou.
Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez has also been credited with interest from Barcelona, who are clearly pursuing multiple attacking targets this transfer window.
However, sources close to Chelsea have been emphatic that the former Brighton man is not available for sale at any price during this transfer period.
Joao Pedro himself is reported to be happy at Stamford Bridge and wants to continue contributing to BlueCo’s long-term ambitions at the club.
Chelsea’s stance is not driven by financial necessity, with the club insisting they do not need to sell key players despite missing out on European qualification this season.
The Blues were also loosely linked with a move for Newcastle United midfield duo Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali, who cost the Magpies a combined £95million.
However, sources have dismissed those reports, stating that links connecting Chelsea to the Newcastle pair are wide of the mark.
New head coach Xabi Alonso officially begins his role at Stamford Bridge on July 1 and is expected to have significant input into the club’s transfer activity.
The 44-year-old Spaniard will work alongside Chelsea’s sporting leadership team as they look to build a competitive squad ahead of his Premier League managerial debut.
