Newcastle United tried desperately hard to sign Joao Pedro during the summer transfer window, and at one stage it looked like a deal was actually done.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano tweeted his famous three words ‘here we go’, stating that Pedro was ready to swap Watford for Newcastle and join Eddie Howe’s side.
However, that did not happen. The £30million deal collapsed, and the Magpies were forced to look elsewhere.
That is despite reports stating that Pedro was pushing to join Newcastle, and wanted to play alongside fellow Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.
It was later claimed that the Magpies pulled out of the deal when they found out they could get Alexander Isak. He then arrived for a club record fee of £63million, after initially only offering Real Sociedad £33million.
Howe will be delighted with that decision, as Isak is currently thriving in a black and white shirt. However, it does not mean that Pedro is no longer on Newcastle’s radar.
Newcastle still fancy Joao Pedro, but face competition from AC Milan
According to the Athletic, Pedro is still a transfer target for Newcastle, who have continued to track the 21-year-old’s progress.
He is enjoying a decent season in the Championship, having suffered relegation during the 2021/22 campaign. He has scored nine league goals, and provided two assists so far. The Hornets still have an outside chance of achieving promotion – they are five points shy of the playoffs with eight games to go.
It is highly likely that Watford will remain in the second tier, but is that where Pedro will stay? That might depend on his asking price.
The Athletic add that AC Milan admire Pedro, but his contract until 2028 will prove to be an issue. He signed a new deal at Vicarage Road last year, which means that his value has increased. The report adds that Watford would a command a fee in excess of £30million.
That looks set to put AC Milan off, and it could be too much for Newcastle too. That is despite the fact he ticks a lot of boxes for the Magpies, given that he is a versatile forward with stacks of potential.