Joao Pedro pursuit intensifies as Deco flies to London for agent talks | OneFootball

FC Barcelona are planning to bring in a top-level centre forward into their squad in the upcoming summer transfer window, with the club now preparing for a new phase in attack after current striker Robert Lewandowski has officially announced that he will leave Barça at the end of the season as his contract comes to an end.

The Argentine forward Julian Alvarez was previously reported as the preferred option for Deco. However, the club understands that signing him would be highly complicated given the position of Atletico Madrid and the overall cost of the operation, which has pushed Barcelona to seriously explore other alternatives.

In that context, another name has now moved ahead in the internal list, with Brazilian forward Joao Pedro gaining strong momentum within the sporting department.

The Chelsea striker is highly valued by the Blaugrana hierarchy and is seen as a profile that fits what the club is looking for in a modern number nine, with mobility, link-up ability, technical quality, and goals all part of his game. As a result, he has now become the priority being worked on more concretely within the recruitment department.

According to SPORT, this internal shift has already translated into movement on the ground, with sporting director Deco travelling to London to hold meetings with the player’s representatives in the coming days, as Barcelona continue to work quietly on their squad planning for next season.

The move has been kept under wraps inside the club, with the sporting department assessing different scenarios depending on how the market develops.

During his stay, Deco is also expected to attend the FA Cup final at Wembley between Chelsea and Manchester City, a match where Joao Pedro is expected to feature as one of the main attacking threats. A possible face-to-face meeting with the player himself is also not being ruled out.

At the same time, Barcelona are aware that before any deal can be pushed forward, they will need to improve their financial situation, create wage space, and move closer to the 1:1 rule in order to register new signings.

For now, while Julian Alvarez remains appreciated within the club, Joao Pedro has moved into the leading position in the search for Barça’s next centre forward.