Newcastle United is reportedly set to proceed with a transfer for Brighton & Hove Albion forward João Pedro, who has been described as an ideal complement rather than a substitute for the club’s star player Alexander Isak.
Eddie Howe’s team narrowly secured a place in the Champions League despite a loss to Everton on the final day of the Premier League season.
This top-five finish provides Newcastle with the financial capability to retain their top talents while also enhancing a squad that requires reinforcements, especially with other competitors also pursuing key players.
According to The Telegraph, Pedro is at the top of the club’s wish list.
The Brazilian forward was previously considered a target for Arsenal, Chelsea, and Liverpool.
Chelsea has since strengthened their attacking options by signing Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap, but the previous season’s top two teams are still in search of a new striker.
Should any club wish to lure Pedro away from the south coast, it is anticipated that the fee could reach £59 million ($79.2 million).Newcastle possesses the financial resources to make significant acquisitions.
The Magpies were also believed to be interested in Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo before he made the rather perplexing choice to join Manchester United—a team that finished 10 places and 24 points behind Newcastle in the last Premier League season.
Howe is reportedly looking for an attacking player to work in tandem with Isak.
The Swedish striker scored an impressive 23 goals in the Premier League last season, attracting interest from clubs across Europe.
However, Isak has been effectively priced out of a transfer this summer, leading Newcastle to focus on acquiring someone who can help share the goalscoring responsibilities.
Following Isak, Newcastle’s next highest scorer last season was Harvey Barnes, who netted nine goals.
Pedro achieved double figures for Brighton despite playing fewer than 2,000 league minutes in the 2024–25 season and has been characterized as a “perfect partner” for Isak.
If Pedro is taken off the table, it gives Arsenal even more reason to advance negotiations with RB Leipzig over a potential move for Benjamin Šeško.
Liverpool, by comparison, appear to be diverting a swollen proportion of their summer budget to the increasingly costly arrival of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz.