New: Deco in London as Barcelona step up ambitious transfer bid for Chelsea's Joao Pedro | OneFootball

Barcelona are reportedly stepping up their pursuit of Chelsea striker Joao Pedro as Deco is in London to watch the Blues ace in the FA Cup final.

Pedro has been in fine form since joining Chelsea from Brighton last summer, announcing himself in that memorable Club World Cup victory before going to net a further 20 goals in all competitions this season.

The Brazil international’s form has attracted strong interest from Barca, and it now seems Deco is stepping things up by travelling to London to get a closer look at him at Wembley this weekend.

See below for details from Sport journalist Carlos Monfort…

His X post translates as: “Deco travels to London to meet with João Pedro’s agents! The blaugrana sporting director has traveled (sic) to the British capital and tomorrow will scout the Brazilian at Wembley in the FA Cup final. He is very much liked at the club.”

Joao Pedro to Barcelona transfer timeline

This story isn’t going away, and here’s a summary of how it’s developed so far…

Should Joao Pedro leave Chelsea for Barcelona?

Pedro clearly has plenty of quality and he looks like he has a great career ahead of him, so he won’t want to waste that at a club that’s not playing in Europe or competing for major trophies.

The sad reality for Chelsea right now is that’s how they’re going to increasingly be perceived after a chaotic few years under this ownership.

Pedro only joined a year ago, so might be willing to give the CFC project some more time, but it also won’t be easy for him to turn down Barcelona if they really push for this deal.

The Catalan giants urgently need a top signing up front this summer as veteran front-man Robert Lewandowski is coming towards the end of his contract.