Barcelona have suffered a fresh blow, losing one of their options at centre-forward as they brace for failure in the pursuit of Atletico Madrid star Julian Alvarez.
Numerous reports had named Joao Pedro as one of the targets on the desk of sporting director Deco, who is looking to bolster the attack this season.
That door has now slammed shut. According to Chelsea's official website, the Blues announced on Saturday that Joao Pedro had signed a new deal until 2034, underlining the English club's determination to keep hold of the Brazilian.
Joao Pedro joined Chelsea from Brighton and Hove Albion in July 2025 and wasted little time making his mark, scoring in both the semi-final and final of the FIFA Club World Cup to help the team lift the world title.
The Brazilian carried that form into his first full season, netting 20 goals across all competitions and finishing the 2025-2026 campaign as Player of the Season, voted for by the club's supporters.
Joao Pedro said: "I am very happy to sign a new contract with Chelsea. I always dreamed of playing for a big club, and it means a lot to me to commit to this club for the long term. Chelsea have a long history of victories, and have big ambitions for the future."
He added: "I have a very good relationship with everyone here at the club, and I have felt at home here in London from the moment I joined."
He continued: "Everyone is very excited for this season. We know we are capable of achieving many things, we have a great team, and we have a manager who wants to win and has won before. I am fully committed, everyone is ready, and we hope we can achieve our goals."
The impact was immediate. Joao Pedro scored twice against his former club Fluminense to fire Chelsea into the Club World Cup final, then found the net against Paris Saint-Germain in the showpiece to help seal the title.
His goals kept coming throughout that first full campaign. He struck Chelsea's opener of the 2025-2026 season away at West Ham United, before grabbing the only goal in a win at Tottenham Hotspur.
Europe saw the same story. Joao Pedro scored twice as Chelsea beat Napoli in the UEFA Champions League.
Twenty goals is where he finished the season, sweeping the Player of the Season award by a landslide after a huge fan vote.
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