‘Joao Pedro waits for Chelsea after Newcastle-Brighton move made’
Chelsea appear to have the advantage over Newcastle in the race to sign Brighton ace Joao Pedro following the latest update on the attacker.
The Brazilian enjoyed an impressive 2024/25 campaign in front of goal for the Seagulls, which has already seen him attract plenty of interest from elsewhere this summer.
Newcastle have been heavily linked with Pedro, as they aim to build on their League Cup win and Champions League qualification from last season.
However, the Magpies are not the only ones who have been keen to sign the attacker, and they now appear to be worried about that competition.
Joao Pedro wants London move amid Chelsea links
As well as Eddie Howe’s side, Chelsea have also shown an interest in the Brighton attacker, and it seems that is now causing concerns at St James’ Park.
According to an update from The Telegraph, Newcastle have made a move in an attempt to sign the 23-year-old.
However, the Magpies apparently fear that Pedro would prefer a move that allows him to live in London, and is therefore waiting for Chelsea to firm up their interest in him.
Because of that, the Brighton star has yet to commit to a move to the north east with Eddie Howe’s side, with plenty of time remaining in the summer transfer window to decide his future.
Newcastle United will be desperate to avoid Brighton ace snub
Football Insider Verdict
Heading into the summer, there were suggestions that Newcastle are keen to take “revenge” in the transfer market now they are free from the threat of punishment for breaching PSR.
Despite that, the Magpies are still yet to make a senior signing since the window opened at the start of this month.
Indeed, Newcastle already look set to miss out on Bryan Mbeumo to Man United, and repeats of that will be hugely frustrating, given how they need to strengthen their squad.
As a result, this Pedro update will be worrying for them, especially since he would have been a useful alternative source of attacking firepower to the Brentford man.
Of course, with the demands and expectations of the season to come, it is crucial that the Magpies start adding to their squad sooner rather than later.
The pressure may therefore be building on Newcastle to start getting their business done, even if these updates highlight the challenge of doing that.