FC Barcelona are wasting no time preparing for life after Robert Lewandowski. With the veteran striker set to leave at the end of June, the Catalan giants have already intensified their search for a new leading forward — and one name is quickly rising to the top of their shortlist: João Pedro.
According to reports, Barça sporting director Deco, alongside Bojan Krkić and chief scout João Amaral, recently traveled to London to push forward negotiations for the Brazilian attacker. The club has been monitoring João Pedro for several weeks, and their interest appears to be growing stronger by the day.
Deco was even spotted at the FA Cup final earlier this month, where he reportedly watched João Pedro closely as Barcelona continued evaluating whether the Chelsea forward could become the club’s next number nine.
The biggest obstacle, however, remains the price tag.
Chelsea FC only signed João Pedro from Brighton & Hove Albion FC last summer for around €70 million, handing him a long-term contract until 2033. After an outstanding debut campaign in London, Chelsea are believed to value the striker at close to €100 million — a figure that could prove difficult for Barcelona to meet given their ongoing financial balancing act.
Chelsea are also reluctant to part ways with a player who has become one of their standout performers this season. João Pedro finished the campaign with an impressive return of 20 goals and 9 assists, earning recognition as one of the Blues’ most influential players.
Despite his excellent form, the Brazilian was surprisingly left out of Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for next summer’s World Cup tournament in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Chelsea’s failure to secure Champions League football next season could, however, become a factor that Barcelona hopes to exploit during negotiations.
At the Spotify Camp Nou, the striker search has now become urgent.
Lewandowski’s decision to depart has forced Barcelona to accelerate their rebuilding plans in attack, with the club determined to secure a long-term replacement as quickly as possible. João Pedro is admired for his versatility, movement, technical quality, and ability to both score and create goals — qualities Barça believe fit perfectly into their attacking system.
Still, he is not the only superstar on their radar.
Julián Álvarez also remains a dream target for Barcelona, but the Argentine’s current market value is considered extremely high, making any potential deal even more complicated than the pursuit of João Pedro.
As the summer transfer window approaches, Barcelona’s striker hunt is clearly underway — and João Pedro may now be emerging as the club’s priority target for the next generation of Barça’s attack.
