Newcastle United encountering two major problems in move for Joao Pedro

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Newcastle United are interested in signing Joao Pedro, but a deal will not be straightforward.

The 23-year-old is back on their radar after Newcastle nearly signed Joao Pedro in 2022.

Since then, Eddie Howe’s side have qualified for the Champions League twice and won the Carabao Cup. As for Pedro, he has proven at Brighton that he is every bit the player Newcastle United thought he was when they first tried to sign him.

Now they are attempting to make up for lost time, with Newcastle targeting Pedro again.

Newcastle worried about Joao Pedro’s asking price

However, Toon officials are well aware that it will be difficult to strike a deal for the Brazilian forward.

According to the Telegraph, Newcastle United are concerned about Pedro’s asking price, while they are also unsure if he will be willing to compete with Alexander Isak to be the club’s main striker.

In terms of the positives, the Telegraph state that Pedro appeals to the Magpies because of his versatility.

While his ability to operate in different roles makes him ideal for Eddie Howe, the club are right to be concerned about the fee it could take to bring him to St James’ Park.

Geordie Boot Boys understand that Brighton want around £70million for Pedro and are in no rush to sell despite the attacker being unsettled at the Amex Stadium.

Joao Pedro’s value has more than doubled

If Newcastle United are going to sign Pedro this summer, it looks like they will have to smash their transfer record.

The current record-holder is Alexander Isak, who is Newcastle’s most expensive signing at £63million. He arrived in August 2022 from Real Sociedad, at a time when the Magpies were also trying to sign Pedro from Watford.

Newcastle were going to pay £30million for Pedro, but ended up splashing out double that amount to sign Isak. That proved to be the correct call, with the 25-year-old establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the world in the black and white of Newcastle.

Now the Magpies are looking to pair Isak and Pedro together, but will have to pay a premium to make that dream a reality.

Brighton paid £30million for Pedro in 2023, 12 months after Newcastle almost signed him for that sum of money. Two years on and the Seagulls believe his value has more than doubled, which could scupper Howe’s hopes of finally bringing him to Tyneside.