In the high-stakes world of football transfers, Barcelona have set their sights on Chelsea's Joao Pedro—a rare transfer success story that the Blues are unlikely to part with, even for a staggering €100 million.

The Brazilian striker has caught the eye of Barcelona's management, with reports from ESPN Brazil's Bruno Andrade revealing that the Catalan giants have been working on a deal for over a month. Joao Pedro has reportedly been "approved" by Barcelona coach Hansi Flick, who sees him as a more affordable alternative to Julian Alvarez, currently at city rivals Atletico Madrid.

However, "affordable" is a relative term here. The reported price tag of €100 million would represent a massive profit for Chelsea, who signed Joao Pedro just a year ago from Brighton. But given his impressive debut season at Stamford Bridge, the London club seems unlikely to cash in. He's one of the few clear successes from Chelsea's sporting directors, and the club will want to build their attack around the former Brighton star rather than sell him.

Barcelona's financial constraints also make this deal questionable. The Spanish giants aren't exactly in a position to splash such sums, making a transfer feel more like wishful thinking than a realistic possibility.

Meanwhile, Chelsea fans have been buzzing about Enzo Fernandez's holiday to Madrid, but manager Enzo Maresca has defended the midfielder, dismissing any controversy. As the team prepares for Monday's match, all eyes will be on getting the Stamford Bridge faithful onside—a challenge that new signing Calum McFarlane is eager to tackle head-on.