Arsenal ready to pay over €100m for Joao Pedro as Chelsea close in on new deal

Joao Pedro is set to be handed a new Chelsea contract, with the club determined to block any attempt to take him away this summer. According to Brazilian outlet Globo, Arsenal and Barcelona have both indicated they would pay over €100m to sign him, but Chelsea have no intention of selling and are close to extending his stay. Pedro signed a seven-year deal when he arrived at Stamford Bridge last summer, a contract that runs until 2032. Reports from insider sources indicate that talks over improved terms are already advanced, while Nicolo Schira says the fresh agreement will run until 2033 and include a significant salary increase. Chelsea are reportedly preparing to announce the extension ahead of the 2026-27 campaign. Arsenal have already signed Christos Tzolis to replace Leandro Trossard and are also working on a sensational move for Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior. A new center forward could still arrive before Deadline Day, but an ambitious move for Pedro is not expected to happen. Pedro is coming off the best season of his career, with 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions. He was surprisingly left out of Brazil's World Cup squad, then scored a hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers in Chelsea's first official preseason friendly. Under Xabi Alonso, with Danny Welbeck -- his former Brighton & Hove Albion teammate -- now in the squad after the pair thrived together at the AMEX Stadium, and with Cole Palmer fit, Pedro could play an even bigger role in Chelsea's attack.