Newcastle United transfer target Joao Pedro will play no part in Watford's Championship clash with Preston North End on Saturday. The Brazilian, 20, is the man Eddie Howe wants to bolster his attack in the final weeks of the summer window.
Pedro has featured in all four of Watford's league games this season but reportedly played through the pain barrier in the midweek meeting with Birmingham City. The young forward is said to have picked up a minor calf injury and has not travelled with his co-stars to Deepdale this weekend.
Watford are desperate to keep hold of Pedro this summer after losing Emmanuel Dennis to Nottingham Forest earlier this month. Meanwhile, Newcastle are scrambling to add firepower to Howe's ranks in the final days of the window and have tested the Hornets' resolve with two bids so far.
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United are understood to have submitted an initial bid of around £20m earlier this week which was snubbed before an improved offer of £23m was also turned down. The expectation is Newcastle will return with a third bid for the player, with Watford likely to give in if they receive around £30m.
A senior Watford source told ChronicleLive the club had made their position 'very clear' when it comes to Pedro not being for sale. However, the player wants Premier League football and would be open to moving to Tyneside.
ChronicleLive also understands the player's representatives were 'mystified' by Watford's hard-line stance after Newcastle's opening offer. Pedro would join fellow Brazilians Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton upon a move up north.
Watford boss Rob Edwards this week said: "There has a been a bid in for Joao that’s been talked about. It’s not anywhere near the level that we’d expect it to be for him, but I’m involved in that conversation and if anything else was to come in again we’ll sit down and talk about it as a club and as a board."
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