Chelsea's recruitment has been under the microscope this season but a rare positive has been Joao Pedro's arrival from Brighton.
Despite spending over £300 million last summer — including £200 million on attackers — the Blues have struggled to carve out chances in front of goal.
Liam Delap's signing from Ipswich Town has been a total disaster with the forward facing an uncertain future after scoring just one Premier League goal all season.
Alejandro Garnacho has been a similar story. The Argentine has offered very little since he left Manchester United and may not continue beyond this season.
Pedro has been a shining light in an otherwise disappointing campaign. The Brazilian, who cost £60 million, has scored 22 goals and registered nine assists in all competitions. With the good comes the bad, though.
The 24-year-old's form has caught the attention of one of Europe's biggest clubs, who will reportedly turn their attention to him should they fail to land their number one target — Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez.
Barcelona view Joao Pedro as alternative to Julian Alvarez
Preparing to replace Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona want to bring Alvarez to the Camp Nou. It would be a tough deal to get across the line, though.
The Argentine is under contract until 2030 and is undoubtedly Atletico's best, and most valuable, player. Diego Simeone certainly won't want to lose him, and even less so to one of the Los Colchoneros' biggest rivals.
The potential transfer's complexity has forced Barcelona to consider alternatives and according to Cadena SER, Chelsea's Pedro is top of the Spaniard’s backup list.
"Joao Pedro is a clear alternative to Julian Alvarez," presenter Sique Rodriguez said on Tuesday. "He is a player that Barca likes a lot. He is not the only one."
Of course, prizing Pedro away from Stamford Bridge would be equally as tough.
Chelsea would be mad to even consider selling Pedro
Pedro's contract runs even longer than Alvarez's, and his form this campaign will see him central to any future plans, regardless of which manager comes in next.
Despite these latest transfer links, Chelsea fans won't feel too concerned. The player has shown no desire to leave after just one year and appears to be thriving in West London.
Even if Hansi Flick is a big fan of our number 20 there is no way Chelsea are going to roll over and let one of their best signing in recent years leave, with or without, Champions League football.
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