Barcelona believe they can sign Premier League forward for around €70 million | OneFootball

FC Barcelona continue to keep all options open in their search for the best long-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski.

As previously reported, the Catalan club currently have three top-level forwards on their shortlist to succeed the Polish striker: Julian Alvarez, Joao Pedro, and Harry Kane.

Building on that, as confirmed today, Barcelona director Deco is once again in London to try and facilitate a transfer for Chelsea’s Pedro.

Barcelona believe Pedro could be available for €70 million

Now, according to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona could secure the signing of Joao Pedro for a lower fee than that required for Julian Alvarez.

One of Barcelona’s key targets. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Within the Catalan club, it is believed that a deal for the Chelsea forward could be completed for slightly more than €70 million.

However, sources from the Premier League maintain that the Brazilian is not for sale. But their failure to secure European football for next season could make it difficult for the Blues to retain the striker.

Not Deco’s first visit

As mentioned earlier, Deco travelled to London alongside his assistant Bojan Krkic and the club’s head of scouting, Joao Amaral, in order to advance discussions regarding Pedro.

This is not the first occasion on which Deco has travelled to London to monitor the Chelsea forward.

Deco and Bojan in London. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Due to Barcelona encountering difficulties in their pursuit of Alvarez, partly because of pressure from PSG, the club’s director had already travelled to London previously to assess the Brazilian first-hand.

That visit took place during the FA Cup final at Wembley on 16 May against Manchester City, where Chelsea suffered a 1-0 defeat. During that trip, Deco also met with the Brazilian player’s agent.

With him being seen as more affordable than Alvarez, it remains to be seen if there is any progress made in talks.