Chelsea could derail João Pedro transfer to Newcastle
Newcastle United may be about to miss out on top summer target Joao Pedro, after transfer expert Fabrizio Romano revealed that Chelsea are now tracking the Brighton forward.
Eddie Howe's side have been exploring options to strengthen their attacking line ahead of their return to Champions League action. Their interest in Pedro had appeared to intensify in recent weeks, with a deal looking more likely than not.
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However, Newcastle's pursuit could now be derailed, with Chelsea understood to have added the Brazilian striker to their shortlist of summer targets.
That's according to Romano, who claimed that Enzo Maresca's side 'highly rated' the 22-year-old, who netted 10 times in 27 Premier League outings last season.
'Joao Pedro is going to leave – expected to leave,' Romano said on his YouTube channel. 'He is open to leaving Brighton in the summer transfer window. Let's see what happens with the clubs.
'Newcastle already tried to sign Joao Pedro before he joined Brighton. A deal was done verbally but it collapsed for different reasons. Now he remains a player on the list of the recruitment team at Newcastle.
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'They want Joao Pedro at Newcastle. They made contact with Brighton, as was reported in England in recent days, but there is still no club-to-club agreement. What I can confirm is Joao Pedro is on Chelsea's list.
'He is highly rated by Chelsea. They see him as an interesting option because he can cover different positions and knows the league. He can be a different option for the squad. For sure, Joao Pedro is a name on their list.'
In a surprising twist, Pedro's Brighton teammate Igor Julio has already publicly revealed that the striker informed the club of his desire to move on this summer.
'Joao Pedro had already told Brighton some time ago that his desire was to leave, seek new things, take the next step,' Igor told Trivela. 'It seems it will be difficult and complicated for him to stay here.
'We have to be honest, the club already knows that. [I am] very happy for him. He deserves it. He's been here in England for five years and hasn't played for a big team yet. It's his moment, his time, so he can make the best decision and be happy wherever he is.'
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