Chelsea has settled its position on João Pedro's future, after deciding to extend his contract and improve his salary to close the door on Barcelona's interest.
João Pedro
The club: Chelsea
Barcelona's interest comes amid the club's failure to secure a deal for Atlético Madrid striker Julián Álvarez and the team's suffering from a shortage in the striker position following Robert Lewandowski's departure.
Mundo Deportivo newspaper revealed, citing The Athletic, that Chelsea moved quickly after Barcelona and Arsenal's interest.
The two clubs were prepared to submit offers exceeding 100 million euros to sign the player.
The report clarified that Chelsea considered João Pedro unsellable and immediately began procedures to extend his contract and improve his salary to ensure his continuity.
The report added that the contract extension came despite the player's current contract extending until 2032, but it reflects the club's great confidence in his abilities.
Negotiations accelerated after the rise in interest from European clubs, which prompted Chelsea to move decisively.
João Pedro has been presenting distinguished levels since joining Chelsea, as he scored 20 goals and made 6 assists in 50 matches, in addition to his brilliance in the Club World Cup.
The player also started the new 2026-2027 season strongly, after scoring a "hat-trick" and assisting a goal in a friendly match that ended with his team's 6-4 victory over Australian Western Sydney.
João Pedro is considered one of the main pillars around which Chelsea seeks to build its future project, given the club's insistence on his continuity and rejection of the idea of his departure in the upcoming period.