Newcastle United have been linked with a summer swoop for Brighton forward Joao Pedro.
Newcastle United are beginning to flex their financial muscle in the transfer market but have already received a taste of what could lie ahead this summer, with over-inflated Premier League prices seemingly hard to avoid.
The Magpies have this week sought to snatch Joao Pedro from Brighton, James Trafford from Burnley and Anthony Elanga from Nottingham Forest - in a triple swoop totalling around £125m - but have been met with rejections from their Premier League rivals.
An initial offer of £45m was rebuffed for Elanga, while there is work to be done on Trafford, who Burnley value at around £35m following his impressive season in the second tier.
Last summer, while Newcastle admittedly had to count their pennies, the club baulked at Crystal Palace's ever-increasing valuation for key defensive target Marc Guehi. Despite getting dragged into a long-running transfer saga, the Magpies ultimately refused to budge and walked away from the England international - much to the disappointment of fans.
“We have [walked away] many times in my time here especially when there was a Newcastle tax on any deal," Howe said, last summer, when quizzed over the Guehi valuation set by Crystal Palace chiefs.
Newcastle's stance has not changed. Premier League rivals may be looking for premium prices for their top talent but Howe's side will simply refused to be rolled when it comes to paying over the odds.
Cheaper, European targets have been assessed in the last few months and despite recent moves for Premier League talent, Newcastle have no qualms about once again heading to the continent for exciting deals. Sandro Tonali, Alexander Isak, Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes represent successful examples of taking a risk with lesser known options.
However, it is believed Newcastle still have slight headroom to improve on their recent offers. Brighton are understood to want £60m for Pedro, which is not beyond United's financial capability.
Meanwhile, . Forest's 'not for sale' stance on Elanga, however, complicates matters on that particular front.
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