Opinion: Why fresh Watford contract for Joao Pedro could potentially be ideal for both parties | OneFootball

Yesterday, it was confirmed that Watford striker Joao Pedro had signed a new contract to extend his stay at Vicarage Road until 2028.

Considering he was already contracted to the club until the summer of 2027, this isn’t exactly the biggest boost for the Hornets but it’s promising from their point of view that one of their star players has been willing to put pen to paper on fresh terms.

This is especially promising considering he was the subject of intense interest from Everton and Newcastle United during the latter stages of the previous window, with both submitting bids in attempts to lure him away from Hertfordshire.

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1. When was the club formed?

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With this interest in him, you feel Pedro and his representatives must have been in a reasonably strong position at the negotiating table when discussing an extension, with a pay rise potentially persuading the Brazilian to sign on.

But other benefits may have been included too – and not just financial ones too.

It wouldn’t be a massive surprise if there was a release clause in this agreement to give the 20-year-old a potential escape route from the club at some point – an escape route that the forward may be grateful for if his current side doesn’t get back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

And this release clause may benefit the club too, though it will come with its disadvantages. They will be powerless to prevent him from leaving if a club decides to activate this clause.

But at the same time, having a fixed fee in his contract may enable the player to focus on on-field matters and potentially prevent him from submitting a transfer request to try and force a move away from the club.

That type of incident would only go on to affect morale at the club and in what looks set to be a hotly-contested race for promotion, keeping morale high could be the marginal gain needed to stay above other teams in the mix.

Judging from Dan Gosling’s interview in the summer, it seemed as though not all was well behind the scenes at Vicarage Road, so maintaining a good culture at the club could be a key factor in turning around their fortunes.

This is why this player agreement could be even more beneficial than it appears, for the Hornets and their talented forward.