Barcelona’s Deco Travels to London to Sign Chelsea’s João Pedro as Victor Osimhen Drops Down Transfer Shortlist

Barcelona’s pursuit of a new centre-forward this summer has taken a significant turn, with sporting director Deco reportedly making a personal trip to London to open direct negotiations with Chelsea over Brazilian attacker João Pedro, according to reports from Pulse Sports, citing Spanish outlet MD.

The Catalan club, who recently clinched the LaLiga title, had initially been focused on securing Atlético Madrid forward Julián Álvarez as their primary striking target. However, that pursuit is said to have stalled due to intense financial competition — most notably from Paris Saint-Germain — and the added complication of approaching a direct rival in Atlético Madrid. As a result, Barcelona are reportedly redirecting their attention toward Pedro as a more attainable option.

Pedro only arrived at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2025, but he has made an immediate impact in west London, registering 27 goal contributions across all competitions in what has been described as a brilliant debut campaign. That form has attracted the attention of the Spanish champions, who are determined to bring in a high-quality centre-forward ahead of next season — a priority made more urgent by the expected departure of veteran striker Robert Lewandowski.

Chelsea, however, are not making things straightforward. The Premier League club are reportedly highly reluctant to part with a player they only recently acquired and are currently valuing Pedro at around €100 million. Barcelona, for their part, are said to be seeking a deal that falls within financially manageable parameters — a significant gap that Deco’s London visit is intended to help bridge.

The shift in focus toward Pedro has had a direct knock-on effect for Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, whose name had previously featured prominently in Barcelona’s contingency planning. The Nigerian international, who has been on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli, was reportedly positioned as the club’s fallback option should the Álvarez deal fall through. With Deco now in England to discuss terms for Pedro rather than exploring an Osimhen deal, the 26-year-old has effectively been moved down Barcelona’s order of preference.

Osimhen has endured a complicated period since leaving Napoli, where he was Serie A’s top scorer during the club’s title-winning 2022-23 campaign. Despite strong performances in Turkey — he was recently celebrated at a Galatasaray trophy event — his path to one of Europe’s elite clubs has remained uncertain, with his future continuing to attract widespread speculation.

For Barcelona, the urgency to resolve their striking situation is clear. Lewandowski, now 37, is widely expected to depart at the end of the current season, leaving a significant void at the top of Hansi Flick’s attack. Whether Deco can negotiate a deal that satisfies Chelsea’s valuation will determine whether Pedro becomes the man to fill that role — or whether Barcelona must look elsewhere before the summer transfer window closes.