When Joao Pedro scored his incredible bicycle kick against Nottingham Forest, there was barely a celebration. The game had been well and truly lost by then as Chelsea were set to taste defeat for the sixth consecutive time in the Premier League. All he could manage was some light applause and appreciation for the effort, his 15th league goal of the campaign and the most spectacular so far. And just like that, a work of art was lost thanks to the mess that surrounded it.
Sooner or later, these players are going to start considering their futures if Chelsea do not improve. And there is no lack of interest in their signatures.
Pedro has enjoyed an excellent debut campaign for the Blues. He has a habit of blowing hot and cold. But when he is on, he is definitely on. And even when he is not scoring a ton, his overall play is fantastic and would be an asset to many teams across Europe.
One of those teams is FC Barcelona, who are looking for their next number 9 as Robert Lewandowski is very much in the twilight of his career. Julian Alvarez is believed to be the priority. But signing him from rivals Atletico Madrid won’t be easy. Pedro provides an alternative.
Why Joao Pedro could be tempted to join FC Barcelona
According to Sport Witness, Pedro is on the front page of today’s SPORT as an alternative option for FC Barcelona. The report goes on to read:
‘He [Deco] believes he [Pedro] has the profile of a Barcelona player and possesses the necessary qualities to thrive at the Camp Nou, on a sporting and marketing level that Chelsea cannot offer him.’
Chelsea fans cannot deny that that is true, at least at this point in time. Barcelona might have had their recent problems after Lionel Messi left in 2021, but they have been able to rebuild and are the best team in Spain once again, and not a million miles away in Europe.
On the other hand, Chelsea cannot even compete in England and might finish outside of the top 10 this season. So, it is not hard to understand why players might be tempted to leave. Especially if a club like Barcelona do come calling.
Chelsea cannot afford to lost Joao Pedro
Pedro is one of the few signings that Chelsea have gotten right during the BlueCo era. They cannot afford to let him go.
In fact, most of their additions from Brighton & Hove Albion have been good ones. And while it might have become a bit of an internet meme, that should not deter them from signing more players from the Seagulls in the future.
Coming back to Pedro, he is one of the players that Chelsea need to build around. But this summer, the focus has to be on keeping their best while also bringing in enough ready-made quality that they can be competitive moving forward.
