‘Newcastle’s Joao Pedro move set to be scuppered by Evan Ferguson development’
Newcastle United have been handed a major setback in their pursuit of Joao Pedro amid transfer interest in Brighton star Evan Ferguson.
After the Magpies secured qualification for next season’s Champions League, Eddie Howe must bolster his forward line.
Having notched 10 goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season, Pedro has attracted interest from Newcastle.
Acquiring a new striker will be all the more important for the North East giants if Alexander Isak joins Liverpool.
Brighton won’t sell Pedro and Ferguson despite Newcastle interest
Ferguson endured an underwhelming loan stint with West Ham last season, failing to score in eight appearances for Graham Potter’s men.
But despite his poor form in East London, Football Insider have exclusively revealed that Dutch outfit Eindhoven have been offered the chance to sign Ferguson.
Everton and Nottingham Forest are also among the clubs to register their interest in the 20-year-old with Brighton.
Meanwhile, Brighton have signed Charalampos Kostoulas from Olympiacos, after the 18-year-old scored seven goals last term.
The Seagulls’ move for Kostoulas could have paved the way for Pedro’s exit.
However, Fabian Hurzeler will now be unwilling to part company with both Ferguson and the Brazil international thanks to the teenager’s lack of Premier League experience.
Pedro could fire Brighton back to Europe next season
Since joining Brighton from Watford during the summer of 2023, Pedro has been clinical for the South Coast outfit across two seasons.
| Joao Pedro stats | Premier League 2024/25 |
| Appearances | 27 |
| Goals | 10 |
| Assists | 6 |
In the 2023/24 season, the 23-year-old notched an impressive return of 20 goals and three assists in 40 appearances across all competitions.
Pedro proved himself as a particularly prolific striker in the Europa League that season, scoring six goals in the same number of outings in the European competition.
He then went on to score 10 goals in 30 appearances last season, even though he failed to score in his three FA Cup appearances.
Despite Pedro’s continued efforts in the final third, Brighton narrowly missed out on a Conference League spot last season, finishing four points behind seventh-place Nottingham Forest.
But if the Brazilian continues his prolific exploits next term, the Seagulls could be back in Europe by 2026, epitomising how thankful they could be if he doesn’t join Newcastle.