Watford FC will hope for Joao Pedro repeat as £5 million transfer is lined up | OneFootball

Watford are hopeful to beat Premier League giants for the exciting forward's signature.

Watford are hopeful that they can bring in the exciting Colombian striker Neyser Villarreal this summer, following in the footsteps of former Watford man Joao Pedro.

Alan Nixon reported that the 19-year-old was on the radar of Tom Cleverly's side, with Watford optimistic that they could fend off Premier League giants such as Liverpool and Newcastle for his signature.

The signing wouldn't be too out of character for the Hornets. After the likes of Richarlison, Cucho Hernandez and Joao Pedro were brought in by Watford from South American clubs and sold for a profit, could Neyser Villarreal be the next man to find his feet at Watford?

Signs of Brighton star shown in Neyser Villarreal

Early comparisons are being made between Watford target Neyser Villarreal and current Brighton striker Joao Pedro, who spent three seasons at Vicarage Road before Brighton and Hove Albion broke their then-transfer record to bring him to the Amex Stadium in 2023 for a reported £30 million fee.

Watford brought Pedro over to England from Brazilian side Fluminense in 2019. The 23-year-old made over 100 appearances for the Hornets before moving on after he enjoyed his most prolific season for the Championship side, netting 11 and assisting a further four in the 2022/23 season.

And, even though Watford secured a healthy fee for their former striker, it's arguable that his output over the past two seasons could've warranted a higher fee, as Pedro has gone from strength to strength on the south coast.

Pedro has already contributed more goals and assists at Brighton than he did at Watford in over 40 fewer games and has proven himself in Europe too.

If fans are already drawing comparisons between Pedro and Villarreal, then the future surely looks bright for the prospective Watford man.

Neyser Villarreal has all the promise to live up to the hype

Costing Watford a mere £2 million, Pedro will go down as one of the true hidden gem finds from South America, and six years on, the Hornets are looking to uncover another diamond in the rough from across the Atlantic.

Villerreal has been electric in front of goal for the Colombian U-20 National Team, netting 10 in 14 games.

If the 19-year-old can show his goalscoring nature, which many became familiar with in the recent South American Under-20 Championship, then Watford could be bringing someone in who would improve their current crop of forwards, as well as someone who brings potential to bring profit to the club.

With Villarreal's contract set to expire in December 2025, it may cost as little as £5 million to bring the young star to Vicarage Road. It's a low-risk, high-reward situation money-wise and with Watford's track record of nurturing young attacking talent from abroad, that risk is incredibly low.