Newcastle United are concerned about the prospect of Chelsea hijacking their move for Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro, according to a report.
The former Watford man is expected to be on the way out of the Amex Stadiumthis summer and has been tipped to make the switch to one of several Champions League teams in the current window.
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Newcastle are believed to have shown an interest in signing Pedro, although the Magpies appear to be at the head of the queue at present.
Eddie Howe's side are expected to step up their interest in a deal for the Brazilian in the coming days and weeks, and Brighton have already made contingency plans in case of his exit.
The Seagulls recently completed the £30m signing of Charalampos Kostoulas from Olympiacos, potentially opening the door for Pedro to depart in a big-money deal.
Newcastle 'fearful' of Chelsea Pedro hijack
Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro celebrates on August 24, 2024.
While that would ordinarily be good news for Newcastle, talkSPORTclaims that the Magpies are fearing a potential Chelsea hijack for Pedro, even though a formal offer from Howe's side is on the way.
Of all the teams supposedly keeping tabs on the situation, Newcastle are apparently 'particularly concerned' about their West London counterparts given their history of poaching players and staff from the Amex Stadium.
As well as hiring Graham Potter from the Seagulls in 2022, Chelsea have signed Moises Caicedo and Marc Cucurella from their South Coast counterparts, and those dealings are allegedly enough to worry Newcastle.
The Magpies are also said to be wary of the prospect of a 'bidding war' emerging for the 23-year-old, who has caught the eye of other unnamed teams across Europe in addition to a selection of Premier League outfits.
Pedro came up with 17 goal contributions from 30 matches in all tournaments last season - 10 of his own and seven assists - and he still has three years left to run on his Amex contract.
The versatile forward's total for the Seagulls stands at 30 strikes and 10 assists from 70 matches since his £30m signing in 2023, a record deal for the South Coast side at the time.
Nicolas Jackson issues apology following Club World Cup red card
Chelsea's Nicolas Jackson in action on April 20, 2025
Chelsea have already added Liam Delap to their ranks to compete and cover for Nicolas Jackson, who was the recipient of a straight red card in Friday's 3-1 Club World Cup loss to Flamengo, taking the walk of shame after a crunching challenge on Aytron Lucas.
Jackson took to social media to apologise for his actions, saying: "I want to say sorry. To the club, the staff, my teammates, and all the fans watching, I let you down. Another red card and honestly, I'm so angry at myself.
"I work hard every day to help the team not to put us in this kind of situation. I still don't fully understand how it happened. But one thing is clear: it wasn't intentional.
"Just a football moment that went the wrong way. No excuses. I take full responsibility. I'll reflect, I'll grow, and I'll come back stronger for the badge and for everyone who believes in me. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry."
Jackson will now be suspended for Chelsea's final group game against Esperance de Tunis on June 24, where the Blues need a point to be sure of a knockout place.
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