£70m Chelsea star has been told to leave the club with Barcelona keen on completing transfer
Chelsea face a defining summer as Joao Pedro’s future hangs over Stamford Bridge
Chelsea are going into one of their most important summers in recent memory, and the uncertainty surrounding Joao Pedro is right at the heart of it. While the club have no intention of selling the 24-year-old, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that the board feels losing him now would send the worst possible message during such a shaky period.
Still, the official “not for sale” sign hasn’t stopped the rumours. Barcelona’s Deco has already reached out to Pedro’s camp, even if the player hasn’t officially asked for a move yet. Former Blue Shaun Wright-Phillips didn’t hold back either, telling Somos Fanaticos that Pedro should jump at the chance to join Barca and link up with Raphinha and Lamine Yamal in the Champions League. With Chelsea currently reeling from six straight losses and likely missing out on Europe entirely for 2026/27, you couldn’t blame any top striker for considering his options.
“I believe it would be fantastic for Joao if he were to go,” Wright-Phillips told Somos Fanaticos of a move to Barcelona.
“Personally, given the way Chelsea has been run, if I were him, I would do everything to complete this transfer. “Playing at Camp Nou, alongside Raphinha and (Lamine) Yamal, would be great for him. He would score many goals, since we have already seen what he did in a team that wasn’t as good as this Chelsea team.
“If I were Joao Pedro, I would want to play in the Champions League, and I can’t see Chelsea qualifying for any European competition. Joao has the level and deserves to be playing in the Champions League.”
Pedro’s individual stats this year show just how much he’s been carrying the team. He has racked up 15 goals and 5 assists in 33 games, meaning he’s involved in a goal roughly every 125 minutes. His non-penalty expected goals (npxG) of 0.52 per 90 puts him in the top 2% of all Premier League forwards, proving his clinical edge isn’t just a fluke.
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Beyond the finishing, Pedro’s 77% pass completion rate and a key pass per game show he’s heavily involved in the build-up, too. If there is a fair criticism, it’s that he can still be a bit streaky when it comes to converting big chances, suggesting there is still another level for him to reach as a traditional number nine.
Should Chelsea fight harder to keep Pedro regardless of which league they play in next season?
Chelsea have to keep him, and to be blunt, it’s because he’s the only big summer signing who actually worked out. Trading away their best player after just one year would basically admit the club’s project is failing. Since Pedro is locked down on a contract until 2033, Chelsea have all the control they need to make him the centrepiece of their rebuild instead of just taking the money and running.
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