Newcastle United now know how much Watford want for Joao Pedro.
The Magpies’ opening bid for the Brazilian was rejected on Monday, in a rumour that came totally out of the blue. Pedro hadn’t even been mentioned as a Toon target, and suddenly our first offer had been turned down. It shows that the club clearly still has a list of targets who have not been named in the media.
But now ‘Pedro to Newcastle’ is out, and Dan Ashworth is weighing up a second bid. That’s despite the fact that Watford have insisted that they do not want to sell the 20-year-old.
However, they do have a figure in mind that might make them change their stance.
Watford want £30m for Joao Pedro
The Northern Echo state that Watford will only negotiate with Newcastle if they offer £30million for the forward. That same fee has been reported by Football Insider as well.
It means that the Magpies are about £7million away from reaching Pedro’s asking price. The Northern Echo add that Newcastle’s first offer was around £20million up front, then a further £3million in potential add-ons.
While that means the first bid was worth a total £23million, the add-ons were not guaranteed.
Now it is up to Newcastle to decide how much they are willing to pay for Pedro.
Watford in a strong position
As it stands, Watford have all the power in this transfer battle. Pedro doesn’t appear to be angling for a move at this moment in time, while the Hornets are under no pressure to sell.
They have already sold Emmanuel Dennis to Forest for £20million, while they also could lose Ismaila Sarr. Watford are therefore reluctant to lose their entire forward line, which could be bad news for Newcastle.
The Magpies are going to have to increase their offer for Pedro if they really want to sign him. Eddie Howe’s side are struggling to find value in the transfer market, and are reluctant to overspend.
Would £30million on Pedro be overspending? It’s a lot of money for someone who hasn’t massively thrived in the Premier League. However, he clearly has a lot of potential.
He’s improved a lot since moving to England in January 2020. His time in the Championship has probably helped, and he has started the new season well. Watford boss Rob Edwards has praised Pedro, calling him an ‘intelligent player‘ after he put in an ‘incredible’ performance against Sheffield United earlier this month.
Newcastle are considering a second bid, but it probably won’t be successful if it’s anything short of £30million.