An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their pursuit of Joao Pedro in the summer transfer window…
What’s the talk?
Daily Mail reporter Craig Hope has claimed that the Magpies are set to make a second bid to land the Brazilian centre-forward.
The journalist has added that it will be short of the £35m asking price but they are looking to meet the Championship side in the middle in the coming days.
He Tweeted: “Understand Newcastle are returning with improved offer for Watford’s Joao Pedro after £20m bid was rejected. Still said to be way short of Watford’s £35m valuation, but there is confidence among some a compromise will be agreed this week.”
Dream Hugo Ekitike alternative
The Magpies missed out on one of their striker targets earlier in the window as PSG snapped up Hugo Ekitike from Stade Reims ahead of them.
Newcastle journalist Jordan Cronin has claimed that Pedro has a “similar profile” to the Frenchman in the sense that he is a young striker with the potential to improve.
Eddie Howe could now land a dream alternative to the current PSG starlet by signing the Brazilian from the Hornets this week, or in the weeks to come in the window.
Ekitike has scored ten goals in 28 Ligue 1 appearances but has never stepped foot outside of his home country at club level. It is impossible to tell whether or not he would be able to adapt to playing in the Premier League and England which is why Pedro could be a better option for the Magpies.
Both players are 20 and have plenty of room left ahead of them to develop, with former Watford man Jobi McAnuff once claiming that the Brazilian talent has a “bright future“.
He has made 31 Premier League appearances and scored three goals in his career to date, whilst he has also played 42 matches in the Championship and chipped in with ten goals and three assists.
This shows that, despite his young age, Pedro has a wealth of experience playing in England. There would be no concerns about how he would adapt to playing for Newcastle because he has already settled in the country, whereas there would have been a question mark over Ekitike in that regard.
Along with that, he could be more suited to the pressing style of play Howe wants to deploy as he has averaged more pressures per 90 (18.45) than the PSG man (17.82) over the last 365 days, whilst also averaging more tackles, blocks and interceptions – suggesting that he is more effective than the former Toon target with his work off the ball.
Therefore, the Watford man is a dream alternative to the Frenchman. He has the potential to improve – at the age of 20 – and he has the profile of a player who could hit the ground running due to his time with Watford.
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