I didn't go and see him — Barcelona director opens up on interest in Osimhen, Pedro

Barcelona sporting director Deco has denied reports claiming he recently travelled to London to hold negotiations with the representatives of Chelsea forward João Pedro, as he provided an update on their striker search.

Addressing the media speculation surrounding the club's search for a marquee striker, the former Portuguese international shut down the rumours of a meeting with Pedro and his representatives.

"I didn't go to see Joao Pedro; you are all mistaken." Despite quashing the reports of a London trip, Deco acknowledged that the Brazilian remains under consideration as the Catalan giants hunt for a successor to the departing Robert Lewandowski. 

Acknowledging the void the Polish veteran will leave behind when his contract expires in the summer, Deco admitted that finding a replacement is a mammoth task. 

While acknowledging the sheer difficulty of replacing their legendary number nine, Deco intimated that they had a number of names under consideration.

Recent reports had claimed that the club's financial complications had closed the door on securing Atlético Madrid’s Julián Álvarez, simultaneously forcing them to designate Galatasaray's expensive Victor Osimhen exclusively as a last-resort contingency target. 

Deco, however, rejected these claims, maintaining that the Blaugrana are keeping all avenues open ahead of the summer window. 

"We are not ruling out or signing anyone. We are talking about it," he insisted, assuring supporters that the club's hierarchy remain engaged in discussions and have not definitively eliminated any targets.