Chelsea have beaten Newcastle United in the race to sign Brighton star Joao Pedro.
Alan Pardew believes Joao Pedro is a “first-class player” who can achieve greatness at Chelsea.
Newcastle United failed to sign the Brighton winger for a second time as he prepares for a Stamford Bridge switch. It is understood that the Magpies - who tried to buy Pedro three years ago before moving for Alexander Isak - saw a £50million bid rejected.
The Brazilian has been set on a move to London and viewed Newcastle as a backup option should Chelsea’s interest fade. However, The Athletic reported last night that Pedro is now set to pen a seven-year contract with the Blues.
Newcastle United transfer pickle
The fee is expected to rise to £60million and Pedro will join an abundance of attacking options in West London. As for Newcastle, they must now regroup after missing out on one of their key transfer targets.
Anthony Elanga and James Trafford remain targets, with the latter deal the most advanced. A frustrating opening month of the window has hardly answered Eddie Howe’s call for quick action.
Alan Pardew speaks out
Former Toon boss Pardew labelled the fee “excessive” but backed Pedro to become a success at Chelsea. He told talkSPORT: "They're going to spread the payments which, again, gets around the rules, etc. A great signing for them. I'm a big fan of his. They have got it in time. Wow. I think he's a first-class player and will fit well with all those young players around him.
“Newcastle will be absolutely distraught about that. Chelsea's model is based around young players and young attacking players don't really lose much value, so I can see that this is a safe bet for them.
"He's out of contract soon and they have taken him on. This fee looks excessive, but Newcastle wanted him. He's established, he can play through the middle, he can play off the side. He gives you great variation so I think he's a great player. It's a big fee but I think he can justify that fee."
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Brighton teammate dropped London truth
Brighton defender Igor Julio let slip last month that Pedro prefers a London move. He said: “Joao Pedro had already told Brighton some time ago that his desire was to leave, look for new things, take the next step. It seems it will be difficult and complicated for him to stay here, we have to be honest, the club already knows that.
“I told him that he has to think about what he wants from his career. In my opinion, if I were going to a Big Six team, I would go to a team that competes in the Premier League, plays in the Champions League and is always in a position to win. He always told me that he really wants to live in London, so I think he will prioritise what comes from there first.”
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