Newcastle United have had an offer turned down for Watford forward Joao Pedro. It's no secret that Eddie Howe is looking to add a forward to his squad before the transfer window closes.
A whole host of attacking players have been linked with the Magpies this summer, and it appears that Pedro is now an option. With Newcastle linked with a move for the Brazilian, here is everything you need to know about Joao Pedro.
Who is Joao Pedro?
Joao Pedro is a 20-year-old forward who signed for Watford in January 2020. The Brazilian came through the academy at Fluminense before making his first-team debut in 2019.
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What has Joao Pedro done so far?
Pedro played an integral role in Watford's promotion to the Premier League in the 2020/21 campaign, directly contributing to 11 goals in 31 starts. Watford were automatically promoted that season with an impressive 91 points.
Despite only being 20 years of age, he has accumulated 72 games across the Premier League and Championship. One of the highlights of Pedro's time in England was his goal in Watford's 4-1 win over Manchester United last November, while he also scored a late equaliser in the Hornets' 1-1 draw at Newcastle in January.
What type of player is Joao Pedro?
Pedro is a forward player, capable of playing as a number 10, a striker or out wide. He started this season playing in a front three with Emmanuel Dennis and Ismaila Sarr, which was very fluid, and saw Pedro pop up in lots of different areas.
His biggest strength is his ability to drive forward with the ball. Pedro likes to drop deep and then run at opposition defenders. In the Premier League last season, he made 2.2 dribbles per game - the fifth best in the division - according to WhoScored. Newcastle's Allan Saint-Maximin topped that list with 4.3 dribbles per game.
With his silky dribbling, Pedro is a player who can take games by the scruff of the neck and can get fans off their seats. Should he stay at Watford, he is expected to be one of, if the not the outstanding player in the Championship this season.
There is a feeling that Pedro needs to add more goals to his game to truly kick on. According to FBREF, over the past two full seasons, he has scored 12 goals from 116 shots.
What have people said about Joao Pedro?
Pedro has worked under five managers in his two years at Vicarage Road, with Xisco Munoz and Claudio Ranieri in particular big fans of the forward.
After a 3-2 win at Blackburn Rovers in February 2020, where Pedro scored and claimed two assists, Munoz said: "We know Joao Pedro is an exciting player, he's a brilliant striker, and I know also he scores a lot of goals.
"I repeat, I have a very good squad but I am happy with Joao because right now, he's working hard and also in defence, because he does very good things for the team in defence and offence."
Ranieri had a brief and forgettable spell in charge of Watford last season, with Pedro playing 14 games under the former Chelsea and Leicester City boss. He scored three goals under the Italian manager, although Ranieri wasn't entirely sure on his best position.
On Pedro, Ranieri said: “I believe a lot about this player. He is also one of the best young players in the Premier League for me. But I have to understand which is his best position because now he wants to do everything. He’s an intelligent player.”
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