Newcastle United are interested in making Pepe the seventh Brazilian player to feature for the Toon to date, but Porto have now rejected the club’s initial offer for the midfielder’s transfer this summer.
Eddie Howe has turned his attentions to the Estadio do Dragao as he seeks to strengthen his ranks at St James’ Park. He appreciates what Pepe produced during his first year in Europe, having joined the Liga Portugal giants from Gremio last summer for €15m (£13m) and agreed to a five-year contract.
His terms with Sergio Conceicao’s club also include a €70m (£60m) release clause, but the Magpies hope to agree a much lower fee. Globo Esporte report Newcastle have offered Porto €35m (£30m) for Pepe, yet saw the offer fall flat as the Dragoes would want no less than €60m (£52m) to cash in.
Newcastle are interested in Pepe transfer after Brazilian’s strong first year at Porto
Negotiations between Newcastle and Porto are ongoing as the Dragoes do not rule out selling Pepe amid Howe’s interest. The Portuguese giants would prefer to retain the 25-year-old for longer after he enjoyed a solid first term with six goals and six assists in 42 games, but a deal would be possible.
Porto are holding out for as high a fee as possible as they would owe Gremio 12.5% of any profit on their investment. Interest from elsewhere in England could also strengthen their resolve as Arsenal have explored Pepe’s services, although Newcastle are the only club to submit a formal offer so far.
Pepe took time to adapt to the demands of European football with 14 of his 15 Liga Portugal starts coming in 2022. The left-sided midfielder – who can feature on the right, at full-back and as a striker – also offered two of his four top-flight goals and all four of his assists following the turn of the year.
Luis Diaz joining Liverpool from Porto in January for £37.5m rising to £50m with add-ons also helped Pepe gain a more prominent role. The Brazilian helped to fill the Colombian’s void after he had hit 16 goals and six assists in all competitions, and struck six goals and five assists in 26 games for the Reds.
Howe would hope to see Pepe make a similarly successfully switch to England as Diaz has enjoyed at Liverpool if Newcastle revisit the club’s interest in the Porto forward with an improved bid. He would also hope Pepe can follow Bruno Guimaraes in being a Brazilian to shine after arriving on Tyneside…
Guimaraes the last Brazilian to join Newcastle for Pepe to follow amid Howe’s interest
Guimaraes is the most recent Brazilian at Newcastle for Pepe to potentially now follow amid Howe’s interest after joining the club in January. The Toon paid Lyon £35m plus £6.5m in add-ons to sign the midfielder, who has proven to be a huge hit after having time to grow accustomed to Howe’s tactics.
Howe slowly introduced Guimaraes into his plans with the 24-year-old not starting a Premier League game until March. Yet he marked the occasion by scoring the winning effort at Southampton with a spectacular strike, and ended the season as the Toon’s second-best goalscorer with five in 17 games.
Newcastle may have to break club record for second Brazilian amid Pepe interest
Porto holding out for £52m could see Newcastle have to break the club’s transfer record for another Brazilian if Howe is to sign Pepe this summer. Steve Bruce set the current record at £40m in 2019 for Joelinton to join from Hoffenheim as his first signing in charge and gave him the number nine jersey.
But the 25-year-old failed to live up to the price tag as the centre-forward Bruce signed Joelinton to be on Tyneside. Yet he has since reinvented himself with Howe at the helm as an all-action midfield dynamo, constantly battling for the team and producing his best displays in black-and-white to date.
Chelsea priced Kenedy out of permanent switch to St James’ in 2019
Chelsea priced Kenedy out of completing a permanent switch to St James’ in 2019 following his loan spells on Tyneside. Chronicle Live noted at the time that the Blues wanted £30m, despite there only being a year on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and despite his lacklustre form under Rafa Benitez.
Kenedy started promisingly in black-and-white after arriving in January 2018 with two goals and two assists in 13 Premier League games. Yet he would then only offer one goal and an assist from 25 top-flight appearances during the 2018/19 campaign after Kenedy returned to Tyneside for a full season.
Newcastle captured Cacapa from Lyon in 2007 as club’s sole defensive Brazilian year
Newcastle captured Cacapa from Lyon in 2007 as the club’s sole defensive Brazilian player so far. He had moved to Europe with the Ligue 1 giants six years previous, and enjoyed a lengthy career at the French outfit. The centre-back made 172 appearances in all competitions before moving to England.
A switch to St James’ would not prove as fruitful, though, as Cacapa only featured 29 times, including just 25 Premier League games. The three-cap international would ultimately leave Newcastle in 2009 and returned to Brazil at Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, before stints with Evian in France and Avai in Brazil.
Fumaca joined Newcastle as club’s first Premier League-era Brazilian player
Fumaca joined Newcastle from Crystal Palace during 1999 as the Magpies’ first Brazilian player in the Premier League-era. The attacker had only spent a year in south London before moving to the North East, and he would only spend one season at St James’, as well, before returning to Brazil in 2000.
Bobby Robson only afforded Fumaca five appearances in the Premier League, totalling 139 minutes, during his time at Newcastle. The forward also failed to score or lay on an assist in any competition, having also enjoyed just four minutes in his sole FA Cup outing late on at home to Sheffield United.
Newcastle signed first Brazilian player in 1987 with Mirandinha
Newcastle signed the club’s first Brazilian player from Palmeiras in 1987 with Mirandinha. The striker had never played outside of his home country before moving to England for £575k, and would enjoy two seasons on Tyneside before the four-cap star headed back to Brazil with Palmeiras until 1991.
Mirandinha would make his Magpies debut in a 1-1 draw at Norwich City and struck some important goals in black-and-white. He boasted efforts against Liverpool and Manchester United, and revealed to FourFourTwo in 2009 that the Toon had attempted to convince him to return to St James’ twice.
“When John Hall took over and brought in Kevin Keegan, I had the opportunity to return,” he said. “And then I made the biggest mistake of my life: I chose to stay in Brazil. How I regret that decision.”
Mirandinha added: “When Bobby Robson was there, we almost closed a deal – I was going to be one of the youth team coaches.”
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