Chelsea receive fresh Joao Pedro message after Arsenal approach

Chelsea have received a fresh message about Joao Pedro after Morgan Rogers praised the Brazilian forward following his impressive performances, with Arsenal and Barcelona having previously explored the possibility of signing him.

According to a report by FootballTransfers on Monday, 12 October 2026, Chelsea rejected interest in Pedro during the summer transfer window before agreeing to extend his contract until 2034.

Arsenal and Barcelona had identified the 25-year-old as a potential attacking reinforcement, but Chelsea were unwilling to sanction his departure. The decision has proved valuable, with Pedro continuing to deliver goals for the west London club.

The former Brighton forward scored 20 goals across all competitions during his debut campaign at Stamford Bridge, exceeding expectations after former Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca questioned whether he could reach that mark.

Maresca said last October: “Joao’s going to score goals and give us assists. He is not going to score 20 goals a year. He’s a different striker profile.”

Pedro has since demonstrated his goalscoring ability, taking his tally to 28 goals in 59 appearances for Chelsea. He has also made an encouraging start to the 2026/27 campaign, scoring five times in six matches.

Following Chelsea’s 5-1 victory over Bournemouth, Rogers praised his teammate’s improvement and work in training.

“He’s on top of his game right now, he works in training on arriving, getting in the box and scoring goals, and he’s been doing that every game since I’ve been here,” Rogers told The Sun.

“Maybe he’s changed, maybe he’s adapting from last season. He’s definitely a goal scorer in my eyes.”

Pedro’s performances have strengthened his position at Chelsea, while his contract extension has further underlined the club’s determination to retain him. FootballTransfers estimates his current transfer value at €86.3 million.

Meanwhile, Arsenal are expected to consider further attacking reinforcements in 2027 after missing out on Pedro and Atletico Madrid forward Julian Alvarez during the previous transfer window.

The Gunners could revive their interest in Alvarez or pursue Bayer Leverkusen youngster Christian Kofane, who has also been linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium.

If you liked this story, please follow or tip the author to help them write more!

Segunbam feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com