Journalist makes claim on Newcastle United’s transfer stance on Watford player after unsuccessful bid | OneFootball

Newcastle United are weighing up a fresh bid for Watford forward Joao Pedro according to journalist Alex Crook, but hinted they may not go the extra mile to secure an agreement because of their transfer budget as he spoke to Give Me Sport.

The 20-year-old has also been linked with a move to Leeds United in recent times after spending two reasonably successful seasons at Vicarage Road, even though his side were relegated towards the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Scoring nine times in 38 Championship appearances during 2020/21, the Brazilian looks set to be an asset in the second tier once more for the Hornets and scored their opening goal of the season against Sheffield United.

The hardest Watford FC quiz on the internet – Can you score 24/24?

1 of 24

In what year was the club founded?

1871 1876 1881 1886

And there’s even more pressure on his shoulders to produce for the Hertfordshire outfit now with Emmanuel Dennis securing a £20m move back to the Premier League with Nottingham Forest this summer.

Newcastle are threatening to take the young forward off Rob Edwards’ side’s hands though with the Magpies now prepared to increase their bid for him after having a first offer rejected.

However, this move may not be an easy one for Eddie Howe to secure with the former AFC Bournemouth manager only having a limited amount left in his summer transfer budget.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, talkSPORT journalist Crook said: “I’m not sure. I think they’re weighing it up, but I think they’ve only got £40 million to spend, and they still want two in.

“Two forward players, one wide player and a backup for Callum Wilson.”

The Verdict:

The Magpies could potentially look to do a double deal with the Hornets to secure both Ismaila Sarr and Pedro – but £40m wouldn’t be enough to lure them away so it will be interesting to see whether they do pursue a fresh move for the Brazilian.

It remains to be seen whether Howe would want a backup option on the wing or a starter but they may want the latter and this could prove to be costly for them, so it remains to be seen whether they change their strategy and look at different players.

Pedro is someone that could be deployed in a wide position and considering they would need to fork out a sizeable fee to lure him to St James’ Park, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him shoehorned into a wider role.

However, he isn’t the finished package yet and this is why they may be reluctant to start him at this stage, though pitch minutes will only help his development.

And another thing is for certain, they certainly need more depth in the forward department so he could be a very good addition if they can secure a reasonable deal for his services.