Chelsea close the door on Barcelona to sign Julian Alvarez alternative | OneFootball

Barcelona’s search for a new number has hardly extended beyond Julian Alvarez, as the club remain determined to sign the Argentine forward.

Other names have been linked with a move to Catalonia, but the club have never shown any concrete interest. Joao Pedro, to that end, perhaps came the closest.

Earlier in the summer, the Brazilian was a serious alternative for Barcelona to reinforce their attacking unit but a move never materialised.

Chelsea close the door

Pedro will continue at Chelsea. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona’s option to sign Pedro is now permanently closed as Chelsea are on the verge of extending his contract.

The Spanish publication cites reports in England which suggest Chelsea are ready to reward Pedro for his efforts in the Premier League last season.

The new deal will include a pay raise and seal a contract that doesn’t expire until 2032. By doing so, the club can seal his long-term future at Stamford Bridge.

New coach Xabi Alonso has already shown a lot of faith in Pedro and he is likely to play a key role in his project next season.

What’s next for Barcelona?

Barcelona haven’t moved on from Alvarez. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The potential contract extension of Joao Pedro is unlikely to impact Barcelona that much as the club had already given up on the prospect of the signing the Brazilian long time ago.

As mentioned earlier, Chelsea had deemed Pedro a valuable part of the team and had no desire to offload him this summer.

Keeping that in mind, Barcelona’s play now will be to persist with the Alvarez pursuit and hope Atletico Madrid crumble under pressure as we near the start of the new season.

The Catalans are hoping for Alvarez to push one more time for an exit, having earlier publicly stated his desire to leave the club.

The coming weeks, to that end, could be crucial and decide Barcelona’s fate in the transfer market. Recent reports suggest the club may not end up signing a striker at all, if they fail to bring in Alvarez.