Joao Pedro remains a top target for Newcastle United this summer.placeholder image
Joao Pedro remains a top target for Newcastle United this summer. | Getty Images
Sky Sports have revealed a major update on Newcastle United’s pursuit of Joao Pedro.
Pedro, alongside Anthony Elanga and James Trafford, is part of an ambitious triple-swoop which could transform Eddie Howe’s first-team. However, none of the three will come cheap this summer and each deal has its own complications to overcome before they can be completed.
Pedro has been a long-term target for the Magpies with interest in him first cropping up in 2022 when he was playing for Watford. Despite advanced negotiations, a deal never got completed and instead the Brazilian remained at Vicarage Road for another year before moving to the south coast.
Reports have hinted this summer that Pedro may be allowed to leave Brighton this summer and, according to transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Pedro is in fact ‘expected to leave’ the Seagulls. ‘João Pedro, expected to leave Brighton with movements taking place.’ Romano posted on X earlier this moth.
That post was a quote tweet of one sent last month which read: ‘Understand João Pedro can leave Brighton in the summer as he’s open to new chapter of his career. Premier League top clubs aware of the opportunity for potential transfer fee around €70m, but final decision up to Brighton. One to watch this summer.’
More recently, Sky Sports have reported that Newcastle have firmed up their interest in Pedro into a concrete bid, although that has failed to tempt Brighton into selling the versatile forward.
Speaking on Sky Sports, reporter Mark McAdam said: “Newcastle have had an offer rejected which was in excess of £50m for the Brazilian international. There is long-term interest from Eddie Howe in Joao Pedro, they were interested in him when he was at Watford, but in the end he joined Brighton.
“We also know that Newcastle have an interest in Anthony Elanga, but that offer earlier in the window was also rejected. It will be interesting to see what Eddie Howe does after this rejection because we know that Chelsea also like Joao Pedro.”
Much like Elanga and Trafford, the Magpies will now consider their next move and whether to up their offer for the Brazilian. One thing they will not want to do, however, is become embroiled in a bidding war and pay over the odds for him.
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Whether that’s a bidding war with other suitors, such as Chelsea, or a bidding war against themselves, they will be desperate to avoid that between now and the window closing on Monday 1 September. They will also have to consider how much of a drain on finances a move for Pedro will be this summer.
Of the three players they are most interested in, it appears that he will cost the most money and whilst finances this summer are a lot stronger than they were 12 months ago, there is still far from a limitless pot of money and any transfer this year will have knock-on effects for what they are able, or not able to do, in future windows.
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