Watford will 'sit down and talk' about any further bids Newcastle United make for Joao Pedro after the Magpies' opening offer was rejected.
That is according to Watford boss Rob Edwards, who insisted Newcastle's first bid, which was in the region of £20m, was not 'anywhere near' Pedro's valuation. However, Edwards' admission that Watford would at least consider any offers rather than flat out reject them was, perhaps, a little telling.
A senior Watford source, after all, previously told ChronicleLive the club had made their position 'very clear' when it comes to Pedro not being for sale although you would not expect the Championship outfit to say anything different about their star player. However, if Newcastle were to increase their offer, it would at least give Watford something to think about.
READ MORE: Granit Xhaka tells Arsenal to play like Newcastle as he turns air blue in All or Nothing rant
It is important to stress, of course, that Watford are under no pressure to sell Pedro, who still has five years left on his contract, even if ChronicleLive previously revealed that the forward would be interested in a return to the Premier League with Newcastle. Pedro is not the type of character to push for the move and the Brazilian looks set to start Watford's game at Preston on Saturday unless there is a dramatic development in the coming days.
“There has been a bid in for Joao that’s been talked about," Edwards told reporters. "It’s not anywhere near the level that we would 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.”
Bringing in more firepower was always Eddie Howe's priority at the start of the summer and Newcastle had a bid accepted for top target Hugo Ekitike by Stade de Reims before the window even opened. Ekitike's decision to stay put - the striker later moved to Paris Saint-Germain - scuppered those plans and the Magpies have encountered a number of setbacks in a bid to add more goals and creativity to the side.
However, the hierarchy are staying calm going into the final two weeks of the window and it was not a coincidence that Howe referenced sporting director Dan Ashworth being 'in this position many times' last week. Also, for context, in January, the Magpies signed Bruno Guimaraes, Dan Burn and Matt Targett in the final days of the mid-season window.
Newcastle will keep working until the window shuts in a bid to add to the group and the loan market will heat up in the final days, in particular, as clubs finalise their 25-man squads. Newcastle have already registered their interest in a number of Chelsea players, who could be let go depending on who the Blues sign, themselves. Newcastle like Christian Pulisic, Conor Gallagher, Armando Broja and Callum Hudson-Odoi, but the Magpies face intense competition and will only be able to bring in one of these players on loan because of Premier League rules.
READ NEXT
Joao Pedro makes simple two-word vow as Watford supporters beg Newcastle transfer target to stay
Newcastle owners' stadium wish and £100m 80,000 seater plan that never was
Joao Pedro's telling reaction to Newcastle transfer bid hints at character test he's passed
Newcastle's reassuring 'never stop' transfer and loan summer plan
Newcastle transfer target open to move but senior source makes club's position 'very clear'
