Newcastle transfer news: Magpies still talk about signing Joao Pedro

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Newcastle United came very close to signing Joao Pedro during the summer transfer window, and the Watford ace is still on the Magpies’ radar.

That’s according to the Athletic, who suggest that the Brazilian forward could be a target for Newcastle in January.

Pedro was heavily linked with a move to St James’ Park last month. Dan Ashworth made multiple bids for the 20-year-old, while it was reported that he wanted to join Eddie Howe’s side and play alongside fellow Brazilians Joelinton and Bruno Guimaraes.

Then it was claimed by Fabrizio Romano that a deal was actually done and that Pedro was going to become a Newcastle player and sign a six-year contract. He claimed that the deal was worth £30million in total.

However, the usually reliable journalist got this completely wrong.

Instead, Pedro remained at Vicarage Road. Meanwhile, the Magpies brought in Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad.

That deal basically ended Newcastle’s summer interest in Pedro, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be a target in the future.

Joao Pedro remains on Newcastle’s list of transfer targets

According to the Athletic, Pedro is still spoken about as a possible signing at Newcastle. That is because of his potential and flexibility in attack. He can play out wide or through the middle, which made him an exciting option last month.

They add that he is still on Newcastle’s ‘admired list’ heading into the January transfer window.

That’s good news, as Pedro could eventually prove to be a very exciting addition on Tyneside. He seemed like a smart target in the summer, and is someone who has a lot of potential to go far in the game.

That is the type of player Ashworth has been trying to bring to the club as Sporting Director, and Newcastle have shown that they are prepared to revisit former targets even if they miss out at first.

It happened with Hugo Ekitike and ended in disappointment. But it also happened with Sven Botman and he is now a Magpie.

If Newcastle decide to make a fresh move, there’s a chance that the same could happen to Pedro. He would be a welcome addition given our struggles in attack at the moment. His ability to play out wide would really benefit Howe right now.

But instead he is still in the Championship, where he’s enjoyed a bright start to the season with Watford.

Pedro has scored two goals and provided two assists so far, and has been tipped to become an ‘excellent‘ player by manager Rob Edwards.

Will that happen for him in a Newcastle shirt? Possibly, as he remains a transfer target for the Magpies.