Chelsea just found a goalscorer after years of millions spent on strikers who didn't deliver - and now they have to let him go. João Pedro, the Brazilian forward who brought 20 goals in his first season at Stamford Bridge, is reportedly ready to put negotiations with Barcelona above everything else. Price: around 100 million euros.

According to the Spanish "Mundo Deportivo", Barça's sporting director Deco is already in talks with the player's people. The Catalans had originally wanted Julián Álvarez from Atlético Madrid as a Lewandowski replacement, but PSG entered that story and it all got complicated. Now João Pedro is Plan B - but a player who actually wants to come makes Plan B a lot more realistic than Plan A.

The Brazilian, who is still only 24, reportedly grew up watching Ronaldinho and Neymar. His contract with Chelsea runs until 2033, which in translation means: the Londoners hold everything in their hands. They don't have to sell, unless someone buries them in money.

And that's exactly the problem. Barcelona has been struggling for years to register players within La Liga's financial rules. A 100-million transfer for a single striker in a situation where the club is still paying for the mistakes of the Bartomeu era - sounds like a continuation of the same story everyone was pretending had ended.

Chelsea, on the other hand, has no motive to let him go. After years of investing in Sterling, Felix, Enzo Fernández and a string of other names that didn't deliver a goal when it mattered, they finally got someone who scores. And now they should let him go for money? Maybe - but it would have to be a fairly serious sum.

Which means that for the market watchers tracking the summer transfer window, this is a story that will drag on for weeks. Barça will let the media apply the pressure, Chelsea will play tough. And João Pedro will wait to see whether Camp Nou is really the next stop - or just a good negotiating position.