Deco tracks Chelsea’s João Pedro

Goal reported on May 16 that Barcelona football director Deco traveled to London to watch Chelsea forward João Pedro as the Spanish club weighs striker options for the summer. The report said João Pedro has emerged as an alternative to Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez, whose price and availability are seen as more difficult. Goal also said Deco was expected at Wembley for the FA Cup final, where Chelsea lost 1-0 to Manchester City on May 16. Chelsea list João Pedro as a 24-year-old Brazil forward who joined from Brighton & Hove Albion at the start of July 2025. Barcelona’s official club structure names Deco, full name Anderson Luis de Souza, as the club’s director of football. Those two facts make the report significant even before any formal bid is confirmed: it links Barcelona’s top football executive directly to a current Chelsea attacker under contract. (goal.com) ### Why is João Pedro the name attached to Barcelona right now? Goal reported that Barcelona have placed João Pedro on their striker shortlist as they look for cover or succession planning in the No. 9 position. The same report said the club views him as a backup option to Julián Álvarez, the Atlético Madrid and Argentina forward. (chelseafc.com) Chelsea’s official profile describes João Pedro as a versatile forward, and that profile matches why he would appeal to a club looking beyond a fixed penalty-box striker. The Brazil international can play centrally or in a deeper attacking role, according to Chelsea’s player page. ### What exactly was Deco reported to be doing in London? Goal reported that Deco had been in London during the week and was set to attend the FA Cup final at Wembley to scout João Pedro in person. (goal.com) Other outlet reports on May 15 and May 16 described the trip as involving meetings connected to the player’s representatives, though those details were not confirmed by Barcelona or Chelsea. (chelseafc.com) Wembley hosted the FA Cup final on May 16, and the Football Association said Manchester City beat Chelsea 1-0 through an Antoine Semenyo goal. That gave Deco, if present as reported, a live look at João Pedro in a high-level domestic final. ### Why is Julián Álvarez part of the same conversation? Atlético Madrid’s official squad page lists Julián Álvarez as a forward, and Goal framed him as Barcelona’s more ambitious striker target. (goal.com) The report said João Pedro is being considered because a move for Álvarez would be harder to execute. Goal did not cite a formal Barcelona statement on that hierarchy, and neither Barcelona nor Atlético Madrid had publicly announced negotiations in the material reviewed. (thefa.com) What is on the record is that Álvarez is an Atlético player and that Barcelona-linked media reports have paired his name with João Pedro as two different levels of pursuit. (en.atleticodemadrid.com) ### How much money is attached to João Pedro? Goal put the possible fee at about £55 million. That figure is notable because it is close to the amount Chelsea were widely reported to have paid when they signed João Pedro from Brighton in July 2025, although Chelsea’s official profile does not state a transfer fee. (en.atleticodemadrid.com) Transfer valuations can shift quickly once a season ends, and no official asking price from Chelsea was available in the sources reviewed. Reports outside Goal have also described Chelsea as resistant to a sale, but those accounts remain media reporting rather than club confirmation. ### What would need to happen next for this to become a real deal? (goal.com) Barcelona and Chelsea had not announced talks, a bid or an agreement in the sources reviewed as of May 17. The next concrete step would be a public confirmation from either club, a named executive comment, or a formal offer filed once Chelsea’s season business is complete. (football365.com) May 17 is the first full day after Chelsea’s FA Cup final defeat, and that is the point at which post-match reporting on João Pedro’s future is likely to sharpen. Any next move would involve Deco on Barcelona’s side and Chelsea’s decision-makers on whether a player they signed in July 2025 is available at the reported £55 million level. (chelseafc.com) (goal.com)