{"id":9512,"date":"2026-05-17T06:17:39","date_gmt":"2026-05-17T06:17:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9512"},"modified":"2026-05-17T06:17:39","modified_gmt":"2026-05-17T06:17:39","slug":"joao-pedro-transfer-takes-surprise-turn-after-london-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=9512","title":{"rendered":"Joao Pedro transfer takes surprise turn after London trip"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"content-main\">\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--post-header--><\/p>\n<div id=\"post-feat-img\" class=\"left relative\" itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image\" alt=\"Chelsea\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124-768x432.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124.webp\"\/><img width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124.webp\" class=\"attachment- size- wp-post-image\" alt=\"Chelsea\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124-768x432.webp 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-124.webp\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1200\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"675\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--post-feat-text-->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--post-feat-img--><\/p>\n<section class=\"social-sharing-top\">\n<p><span class=\"fb-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-facebook-f\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"#\" onclick=\"window.open('http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=Joao Pedro transfer takes surprise turn after London trip -&amp;url=https:\/\/sixsports.in\/joao-pedro-transfer-takes-surprise-turn-after-london-trip\/', 'twitterShare', 'width=626,height=436'); return false;\" title=\"Share This Post\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"twitter-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-x-twitter\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"whatsapp-but1\"><i class=\"fa fa-whatsapp fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"pinterest-but1\"><i class=\"fa-brands fa-pinterest-p\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Share<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"email-but\"><i class=\"fa fa-envelope fa-2\"\/><\/span><span class=\"social-text\">Email<\/span><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<p><!--social-sharing-top--><\/p>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-card\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-top\">\n<div class=\"sx-entity-logo\">\n                <img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"CHELSEA\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chelsea_fc_logo-1.avif\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"350\" height=\"350\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/chelsea_fc_logo-1.avif\" alt=\"CHELSEA\"\/>\n            <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"sx-entity-description\">\n<p>            Chelsea is one of England\u2019s premier football clubs, competing in the Premier League and European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League. Known for its strong squad, tactical versatility, and competitive history, Chelsea has won multiple league titles, domestic cups,\u2026            <a class=\"sx-entity-readmore\" href=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/team\/chelsea\/\"><br \/>\n                Read More about CHELSEA\n        <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Barcelona have stepped up their interest in Joao Pedro as Deco prepares for talks in London. The Chelsea forward is now emerging as the club\u2019s leading attacking target for the summer.<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-joao-pedro-moves-ahead-of-julian-alvarez-on-barcelona-shortlist\">Joao Pedro moves ahead of Julian Alvarez on Barcelona shortlist<\/h2>\n<p>Barcelona are looking at new striker options for the summer. Joao Pedro is now ahead of Julian Alvarez on the club\u2019s list. Deco wants a younger forward for the future. As per TEAMtalk, the Brazilian player\u2019s agent arrived in London from Brazil on 15th May. He will meet Chelsea and Barcelona officials as talks over the striker continue.<\/p>\n<p>Deco has kept in touch with the player\u2019s camp for weeks. The agent is now in London, and that could speed up talks. As per ESPN, Barcelona also tried to sign Alvarez from Atletico Madrid. But the club sees him as a very important player. Diego Simeone does not want to lose him. Because of that, Joao Pedro is now a stronger option for Barcelona.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Overall stats of Joao Pedro for Chelsea this season,\u00a0as per transfermarkt:<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table is-style-stripes\">\n<table class=\"has-fixed-layout\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Competition<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Appearances<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Goals<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Assists<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Premier League<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>34<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>15<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>5<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>UCL<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>8<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>3<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>FA Cup<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>3<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>2<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>0<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/figure>\n<p><em><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> <strong>Marc Andre Ter Stegen facing huge Barcelona decision<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-chelsea-still-see-joao-pedro-as-a-key-player\">Chelsea still see Joao Pedro as a key player<\/h2>\n<p>Chelsea will not sell Joao Pedro this summer. The player was signed from Brighton in 2023 for \u20ac63.7 million, his contract with the club runs until 2033 and he delivered an outstanding performance in his debut season after joining. He became an important part of the attack. The striker adjusted quickly to <strong>Premier League<\/strong> football. He pressed well, made smart runs and linked play nicely with his teammates.<\/p>\n<p>Barcelona still believe a deal could be possible. As per their Premier League standings, Chelsea will not play Champions League football next season. That could affect some decisions at the club during the summer transfer window. Because of this, Barcelona may feel they still have a chance to open talks for Joao Pedro.<\/p>\n<p>Barcelona like Joao Pedro because he suits their style well. He is comfortable in many attacking roles. The striker can move wide, come deep and help in build up play. He is also calm in small spaces. Deco and the coaches see him as a smart fit for the team. Barcelona also know Robert Lewandowski is getting older. Because of that, the club wants a younger striker who can become the main forward in the future.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong> <strong>Hansi Flick reveals Barcelona\u2019s main target after new deal<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" alt=\"Chelsea\" class=\"wp-image-197294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79-768x432.webp 768w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79.webp\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79.webp\" alt=\"Chelsea\" class=\"wp-image-197294\" srcset=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79.webp 1200w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79-600x338.webp 600w, https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Chelsea-79-768x432.webp 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-wembley-meeting-could-shape-the-next-stage-of-talks\">Wembley meeting could shape the next stage of talks<\/h2>\n<p>Joao Pedro\u2019s agent is also expected to attend Saturday\u2019s FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City at Wembley. <strong>Blaugrana<\/strong> representatives are likely to be present as well. The meeting could give Deco a good chance to speak with the striker\u2019s camp. <\/p>\n<p>Barcelona have not made an official offer yet. Still, both sides want to understand the situation better in the coming days. Barcelona will keep watching things closely after the FA Cup final. Deco also wants to know if Chelsea could change their position later in the summer.<\/p>\n<p><em><strong>READ MORE:<\/strong>  <strong>Wesley transfer race ignites City, Madrid, Barcelona fight<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-author-s-opinion\">Author\u2019s Opinion<\/h2>\n<p>Barcelona still face financial limits and must be careful with any major deal this summer. Chelsea, meanwhile, remain in a strong negotiating position because of the player\u2019s long contract. Still, the growing contact between all parties suggests that Barcelona\u2019s interest is becoming more concrete.<\/p>\n<p>The next few weeks could become very important for the future of the Brazilian striker. Joao Pedro may not have been the first name on the club\u2019s list a few months ago, but he is now quickly becoming one of the biggest stories of the summer transfer market in European <strong>football<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<div class=\"preferred-source-box\" style=\"margin-top:40px;padding:25px;background: #1865b4;border:1px solid #ddd;border-radius:8px;text-align:center;\">\n<h2 style=\"font-size:24px;margin-bottom:10px;color:#fff;\">ENJOYED THIS STORY?<\/h2>\n<p style=\"font-size:16px;margin-bottom:20px;color:#fff;\">\n<p>                    Add Six Sports as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting\n                <\/p>\n<p>                    <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" style=\"max-width:260px;height:auto;\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goal.com\/img\/google-trusted-source\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.webp\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.goal.com\/img\/google-trusted-source\/google_preferred_source_badge_dark@2x.webp\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" style=\"max-width:260px;height:auto;\"\/><\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"after-article-links\" style=\"margin-top:20px; font-size:14px;\">Follow the latest updates from <strong>Premier League<\/strong>, <strong>The League<\/strong> and<br \/>\n        <strong>Champions League<\/strong>or explore more<br \/>\n        <strong>Football<\/strong> stories, <strong>Football Teams<\/strong> &#038; <strong>All Football Competitions<\/strong> . Follow more updates on CHELSEA and FC BARCELONA. You can also check <strong>Latest Sports News<\/strong> or visit <strong>Six Sports<\/strong> for more Football updates.<\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-box\" itemprop=\"author\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Person\">\n<div class=\"fe-author-avatar\">\n        <img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/138c1da500ea6195cad6811e69c8d1840fbf0fbbfbeb757b9a66fba179d7ac31?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/138c1da500ea6195cad6811e69c8d1840fbf0fbbfbeb757b9a66fba179d7ac31?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/138c1da500ea6195cad6811e69c8d1840fbf0fbbfbeb757b9a66fba179d7ac31?s=100&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g\" srcset=\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/138c1da500ea6195cad6811e69c8d1840fbf0fbbfbeb757b9a66fba179d7ac31?s=200&amp;d=mm&amp;r=g 2x\" class=\"avatar avatar-100 photo\" height=\"100\" width=\"100\" decoding=\"async\"\/>    <\/div>\n<div class=\"fe-author-content\">\n<h2 class=\"fe-author-name\" itemprop=\"name\">\n<p>                Deepanjali Bhardwaj<br \/>\n        <\/h2>\n<p class=\"fe-author-bio\" itemprop=\"description\">\n<p>                Deepanjali Bhardwaj is a Sports Writer at Six Sports, covering both football and cricket with a focus on match developments, player performances, and key talking points across the two sports. Her work combines timely reporting with clear analysis, helping readers stay informed about major matches, tournaments, and emerging storylines in the football and cricket landscape.&#13;<br \/>\n&#13;<br \/>\nThrough her coverage at Six Sports, Deepanjali contributes match reports, analytical pieces, and feature stories that highlight important moments, team strategies, and standout player performances across domestic and international competitions.            <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"mvp-org-wrap\" itemprop=\"publisher\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/Organization\">\n<div class=\"mvp-org-logo\" itemprop=\"logo\" itemscope=\"\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\" src-webp=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png.webp\" class=\"ewww_webp_lazy_load\"\/><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"145\" src=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"url\" content=\"https:\/\/sixsports.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Six-Sports.png\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-logo--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<meta itemprop=\"name\" content=\"Six Sports\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><!--mvp-org-wrap--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--posts-nav-link--><\/p>\n<div class=\"mentioned-article-block\">\n<h3 class=\"mentioned-title\">Mentioned in this Article<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-button--><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!--comments-->\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Share Share Share Share Email Chelsea is one of England\u2019s premier football clubs, competing in&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9512","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-chelsea"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9512","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9512"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9512\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}