Joao Pedro has vowed to 'keep going' as Newcastle United refuse to give up on the Watford forward. Newcastle had an opening bid in the region of £20m rejected for the Brazilian and a senior Watford source told ChronicleLive that 'we have made our position very clear'.
Watford are adamant that Pedro is not for sale - the Hornets were never going to say otherwise - but the Magpies look set to test that stance with an improved offer.
Pedro still has nearly five years left on his contract at Vicarage Road, so Watford are under no immediate pressure to sell, but ChronicleLive previously revealed that the 20-year-old would be interested in a return to the Premier League with Newcastle. However, Pedro is not the type of character who would push for a move and, tellingly, the Watford star started the 1-1 draw against Birmingham City on Tuesday night.
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Pedro took to Instagram after the game for the first time since Newcastle's opening offer was rejected and simply posted an action shot from St Andrews of the Brazilian with his hands over his face while looking to the sky with the caption: 'Keep going'. A number of Watford fans have commented 'don't leave' in response while one supporter wrote: 'I'm begging you to stay' and another said: 'I'm begging. Don't leave.'
As far as Watford boss Rob Edwards is concerned, Pedro is 'fully focused on his job' and is 'dealing with everything very, very well'.
“Joao Pedro is already a very good player. I think he’s going to be an excellent footballer,” Edwards told reporters.
“I do believe this is the right place for him at the moment. I think he would really benefit from playing a full season with us and obviously helping the football club to where we want to be.
“I think he can play a huge part in that. I think he’s fully committed to that. He’s so mature for a young age and he understands what he needs to do as well.”
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