Barcelona confirm Joao Pedro talks as Rashford mystery builds

Updated: 27 May 2026 08:30 BST | 3 min read

Joao Pedro, Marcus Rashford, Barcelona — © IMAGO

Robin Bairner | Chief Editor

Accredited football journalist and editor covering the game since 2006

Make us your Google favourite

Barcelona sporting director Deco has confirmed that he has held talks with Chelsea striker Joao Pedro but was altogether more cryptic on the future of Manchester United attacker Marcus Rashford.

Article continues under the video

The news that Robert Lewandowski will leave Camp Nou in the summer has sparked a change of transfer policy at Barca, who are now targeting a new No.9 for the summer.

Deco has admitted that Chelsea striker Joao Pedro is a target and that Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez is another possibility.

Deco confirms Joao Pedro discussions

The Barcelona sporting director had been in London, and he has admitted that the meeting was with Joao Pedro’s entourage to discuss the possibility of a move.

“In the end, we’ll need to sign some players and that’s why we’re working on it,” he said, as quoted by Marca.

“At the moment, we can’t say anything. There are many players whose representatives we’re in contact with to see what’s going to happen. We haven’t spoken with the clubs yet – we’re still working on it.

“I know Joao Pedro’s entourage quite well, but that’s not the issue.”

Barcelona’s interest in the Brazil striker, who will not be going to the World Cup, appears to be gathering pace, but he would not discount a move for Alvarez either.

“We’ll see, we’ll see,” Deco replied when asked directly about the Atletico Madrid forward.

Despite the optimism of the sporting director, Sport claims that the deals are practically impossible. Atleti have priced Alvarez out of a deal while Chelsea have taken Joao Pedro entirely off the market.

Marcus Rashford to Barcelona: What’s happening?

A long-standing transfer issue has been the future of Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford, who has spent the season on loan at Barcelona. Despite having a €30 million buyout clause in his contract and having agreed personal terms with the Catalan side, there has been no resolution in the future of the Englishman.

Deco was notably unwilling to speak about the situation, simply offering no comment when he was asked about Rashford’s future.

El Desmarque has offered a possible explanation to the sporting director’s actions, revealing that Rashford’s case has been knocked down Barcelona’s list of priorities in recent weeks.

“From a purely sporting perspective, FC Barcelona have decided to focus entirely on signing a centre forward. In this regard, Hansi Flick feels that filling the void left by Robert Lewandowski is the squad's primary need,” it reports.

Barcelona’s financial problems nearly at an end

Finances also continue to play a role. Barca expect to have their finances on a solid footing imminently thanks to the departure of Marc-Andre ter Stegen and the imminent sale of Ansu Fati, probably to Monaco.

This should allow Barcelona to return to the 1:1 financial rules, which means that any funds generated through player sales or wages saving can go directly into new signings. They had previously been restricted to reinvesting just 60% of their income in their squad under the league’s strict financial rules.

Even when they are back on this footing, they will only be able to make big-money signings like Joao Pedro and Rashford via significant player sales – with the Chelsea star clearly having been earmarked as the priority for the moment.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store