near barcelona chelseaOn their short list for the summer is Joao Pedro.

On 6 May, Game Witness Covered claims from Spain Barcelona’s interest in the 24-year-old.

Last Friday, Barcelona’s sporting director there was a deco meeting With the Chelsea star’s agent in London.

The same source said he could see the striker in the FA Cup final, which the Blues lost to Manchester City on Saturday.

A day later, the west London club confirmed the appointment of Xabi Alonso as their new manager.

Barcelona lured the Chelsea man

Monday edition of As Report on Deco’s meeting with the Brazil international’s agent in London last Thursday.

During this meeting, Barcelona learned that a move to the Camp Nou attracted João Pedro, who was interested in joining them. The second message was that the operation is almost impossible due to the high price, and clubs do not want to sell World Cup winners.

Both Deco and La Liga winners will now have to wait, especially due to the appointment of Xabi Alonso. He has to decide whether to stay on the person in front or not.

If the new manager decides to retain Pedro, the operation will become more complicated for Barcelona. On the other hand, if Alonso were to approve a move, Chelsea could sell him for a higher price.

The manager returned to management after leaving Real Madrid in January. His performance with Los Blancos was disappointing, where he also struggled with player issues.

To avoid Real Madrid’s nightmare at Chelsea, AS believe the coach could let Pedro go as he does not want to have disgruntled players in his team. Alonso is stunned by the strength of the players at Madrid and wants everyone to move in the same direction.

Julian Alvarez is Barcelona’s main target but Atletico Madrid are refusing to sell him to a direct rival. Therefore, the focus appears to be on the former Watford man, but prying him away from Chelsea will not be easy.

During this time, winwin Report Barcelona and Real Madrid are keeping a close eye on Chelsea youngster Ibrahim Rabbaz. His agent informed him that scouts from two La Liga giants were keeping an eye on the 17-year-old.

game When he turns 18 in January 2027, both Barça and Real Madrid could relay this and make contact.

Pedro’s stats, contract and price

In his first season at Chelsea, João Pedro scored 20 goals and nine assists in 49 matches.

He has a contract until 2033, and transfer market The Brazilian is valued at €75m, the highest of his career.

The long contract puts the Club World Cup winners in a comfortable position when dealing with any potential transfer negotiations.

PHOENIX- There have been a few instances this season where the Phoenix Suns have been outplayed. Another example came Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

Although 105–103 indicated a close game, don’t let the score fool you. Even for a guy like Devin Booker, he knew his team didn’t bring the right energy.

Typically, they dive for 50/50 balls, pick up full court, and establish the pace of the game. Thursday’s game was a deviation from his norm, yet Booker sees a silver lining with the struggles in the energy department.

Booker said in the locker room postgame, “That’s been our MO all year. We look at what happens when we do that, and tonight is an example of what happens when we don’t do that. Hopefully, it’s a lesson learned from here.”

Devin Booker on the Suns’ lack of energy tonight.

“That’s been our MO all year. We see what happens when we do that, and tonight was an example of what happens when we don’t do that. Hopefully it’ll be a lesson learned from here.” pic.twitter.com/oBmstJqQl0

– Hayden Cilley (@HaydenCilley) 6 March 2026

The shorthanded Bulls did not get any wins in February, but they picked up some impressive wins in early March. They proceeded with the same momentum till Thursday and took full advantage.

His play speed and paint presence were difference makers. Guys like Collin Sexton and Guerschon Yabusele put tremendous pressure on the basket and worked hard for second chances.

Who else agreed with Devin Booker’s assessment of the Sun’s energy?

Head coach Jordan Ott has been someone who has never been afraid to hold his team accountable. After all, Ott had a challenge of accountability for the Suns before last Thursday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Did he do the same after the loss to the Bulls? Not necessarily, but he mentioned a game strategy he used to stir up some energy. He mentions that he attacked because he needed energy, and it’s something he shouldn’t have asked for.

Somehow, Ott knows that the root of all these conversations about lack of effort is the same.

“We do it honestly,” Ott explained. “We took the first out, again, we had zero (forced) turnovers. The reason I know we had zero (forced) turnovers is because I said it to the group. Then at halftime we just talked about wasting possessions.

“We can’t waste possessions, we’re not that type of team, and we have to somehow increase our activity and energy. So we’re looking. We’re looking for different lineups, different guys.”

Luckily for the Suns, their next game will be on Friday as the second leg of a back-to-back. That will give them minimal time to reflect on Thursday’s surprising loss and hopefully use it as a learning lesson, as Booker said.

NEW YORK – The New York Knicks lost 103-100 to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, facing a tough challenge from the reigning NBA champions. This was the Knicks’ first success over a top-seeded Western Conference club, having already failed to defeat the East’s number Q seed, the Detroit Pistons, three times.

Despite some notable losses, the Knicks have performed better than last season against top teams under new head coach Mike Brown. The coach did not describe the game as important, but stressed the importance of learning from the match post-match.

“Seeing what they did, how they did it, why we shot 28% from three. Why this happened, why that happened. It’s a great learning experience,” Brown told reporters at Madison Square Garden. “It doesn’t matter if you – you want to win. But it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. And seeing the competitiveness from our guys was something I love, as well as the physicality.”

The process-to-results mentality fits the coach, who uses the regular season as an information-gathering period to get the most out of his personnel in the postseason. He has often said that the Knicks’ regular season losses are treated as learning opportunities, not failed opportunities to compete.

No matter how one spins it, the Knicks’ margin of error in the playoffs continues to shrink. Will these regular season losses become a topic of discussion if the team fails to deliver in the postseason?

The pressure to outperform last season’s Eastern Conference Finals appearance was already intense prior to the season. And with six weeks left in the NBA playoffs, it looks like it’s only going to keep on going.

Final preview? Brown, Daigneault both play it cool

Brown downplayed the significance of the matchup after the game, telling reporters that he believed the regular season “statement games” were contradictory.

The coach said, “I don’t believe in statement games just because in the playoffs, it’s a different season, you know? … They’re one of the elite teams defensively. You can probably get more from that film than a team that might be 29th defensively.”

Mark Daigneault shared a similar sentiment before the game, telling reporters that the Knicks are a “great test” for his Thunder and crediting New York with being one of the best groups in the league. Asked by the coach if he thought of games like Wednesday as a potential Finals preview, he quickly replied that it was still too early in March to have any thoughts about playoff matchups.

Brown clearly values ​​the opportunity for teams like the Thunder to test his Knicks’ ability. However, his zoomed-out approach to these games, viewing them as data points that span a long season as opposed to the confrontation of individual battles, is representative of the exact philosophical shift the Knicks’ front office wanted from their coaching change.

New York will travel to Oklahoma City in late March for the teams’ second and final regular season matchup. After this, one thing is clear whether Daigneault wants to accept it or not. If these teams meet again, it will be in the 2026 NBA Finals.

West Ham United’s pursuit of Matthew Martinelli has become increasingly complicated, but also clear.

after securing it Contract renewal till 2030Fluminense have now increased the midfielder’s release clause to €30m (£25.6m). get information from RTI game. The figure is more than double the €13m (£11.1m) bid rejected earlier this year.

At that time, Fluminense refused to even begin negotiations. Now, the price has been clearly defined. In addition to increased costs, West Ham are facing a problem due to a difficult transfer to Wolves.

Jhon Arias moved to Wolves in the summer, but soon found himself in a relegation battle. He had nothing in mind and he immediately left for Palmeiras. That lesson has had an impact on the transfer perception of bottom-of-the-table teams in Brazil.

Section raised as World Cup strategy

Renewal was not merely contractual protection. Internally, Fluminense believe Martinelli could break into the Brazil squad under Carlo Ancelotti for the March international break.

There is also hope he could compete for a spot on the squad for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. If this happens then their market value is expected to increase further.

As a result, the club’s plans are straightforward. They do not intend to negotiate any sales before the World Cup. The strategy is to reevaluate the situation after the tournament, ideally with a higher valuation.

For West Ham, this introduces both time pressure and financial growth.

Player wants Europe – but not just any move

Martinelli has already informed Fluminense that he wants to play in Europe. However, there is one important condition.

He does not want to join a club fighting at the bottom of the major European leagues. Internally, the case of John Arias, his former teammate at Wolves, has been cited as a lesson in choosing the right project.

That detail matters to West Ham. If the London team are not competing for European positions, it may be difficult to convince the midfielder. Arias’ short stay at Wolves has been huge news in Brazil, and highlights the negative aspects of such a move.

The 24-year-old academy graduate is a central figure at Fluminense. He has made 300 appearances and is one of his most valuable assets.

With a €30 million (£25.6 million) provision now in place and a post-World Cup sales strategy defined, West Ham face a gamble. Move early and pay big, or wait and risk paying even more.

Last Wednesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers saw three new faces make their home debuts at Rocket Arena. Seeing James Harden, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis take the floor in front of a raucous, energetic crowd was a highly anticipated night. It was no surprise to Ellis, who had heard that day from a former Cleveland champion that he had been drafted into the organization. This wasn’t just someone loyal to the Cavs; It was fan favorite Matthew Dellavedova.

“Matthew, he was my guy when I was in Sacramento,” Ellis said after Wednesday’s blowout 138-113 win over the Washington Wizards. “He messaged me when I got traded. He said, ‘Yeah, you’ll love it. It’s definitely a sports town.’ So yeah, there was definitely good energy there tonight.”

Dellavedova, known as “Daly” in Northeast Ohio, played twice in Cleveland. Fans in the city were attracted to the scrappy, tough style of play the Australian point guard brought every night. His most memorable years came in his first stint with the team from 2013–16, the final season of which saw the Cavs defeat the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals after falling 3–1.

Earning a substantial payday in free agency, Dellavedova played for the Milwaukee Bucks for the next two and a half seasons. In need of experienced leadership, the struggling Cavs returned for him in December 2018. He stayed until 2021 before moving back home to play for Melbourne United in the NBL.

After one season there, Dellavedova last tried his hand in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings, where he faced rookie Ellis in the 2022-23 campaign.

Similar to Dellavedova, Ellis is an undrafted player who had to work hard in the league. He attended two years of junior college at Florida Southwestern, then spent his upper class years at Alabama. Although he thrived as a senior, NBA teams did not select him in 2022. The Kings gave him a chance with a two-way contract as a rookie, and in his second season as a professional he was traded to a standard deal in February 2024.

“I literally tried every way to not get it,” Ellis told ClutchPoints in his postgame presser. “So yeah, it’s crazy that I got here. That’s the only word I can really think of, so definitely blessed.”

“I just want to win. Like, everything else doesn’t really matter to me. As long as we win, that’s all that matters. When I was in college, our coach Nate Oats used to say, ‘When the tide rises, all boats rise.’ So I think that message is still stuck. When the team wins, everyone wins. So, I just go out there and try to play winning games. “I would say that’s what motivates me.”

Cleveland fans should immediately connect with Ellis’ game due to his defensive efforts and consistent pressure. It’s not too far from what the city’s most beloved Australian wine-and-golder brought to the table all those years ago.

Despite being on opposite sides of the world, the two have maintained their relationship since their days in Sacramento. Dellavedova is still going strong with the Sydney Kings, while Ellis is starting the second chapter of his career at the place where his friend became a folk hero.

It’s funny how small the basketball world can be, isn’t it?