Watford knew that following their relegation from the Championship last season, transfer interest in their star players was bound to emerge.

Eventually, this became the case, with Newcastle United going in hard to sign Brazilian attacker Joao Pedro from the Hornets, bidding a reported £30 million.

The 21-year-old remained at Vicarage Road, but, reports at the time suggested that a move was very close to being complete.

Indeed, the ever-reliable Fabrizio Romano even gave the move his famous 'here wo go', stating that a £25m fee, with £5m worth of add-ons was a 'done deal'.

The deal, according to Romano, would also include a 10% sell on clause, with Pedro signing a contract with the Magpies until 2028.

However, this did not transpire, although, Newcastle are now in for Joao Pedro once again with January approaching.

That is according to a Football Insider report this morning, which suggests that the Magpies have a strong interest in the Brazilian ahead of the winter transfer window.

They state that despite a £30 million bid being knocked back in the summer, Newcastle are still keen on the young Brazilian, and have been closely monitoring him this season as they weigh up a fresh approach.

Newcastle reportedly see Joao Pedro as a top talent with the potential to be a Premier League sensation.

However, whilst I'm inclined to agree with Newcastle's assessment of Joao Pedro having that sort of potential, it cannot be ignored that Watford's hand in negotiations is even stronger now than it was in the summer when it comes to any potential deal.

 

 

First and foremost, the 21-year-old recently signed a new deal with the club, extending his Vicarage Road stay until 2028 - six years away.

Now, nobody is naïve enough to believe that means he won't be sold in January, but what it does do from a Watford perspective is bump the price up slightly, and, demonstrates that, from the outside looking in, Joao Pedro isn't exactly kicking up a fuss about leaving.

Not only does that strengthen Watford's hand in negotiations, but so does Joao Pedro's form for the Championship side so far this season.

He had a decent campaign in the division as Watford were promoted in 2020/21, but this time around, Joao Pedro is a different player.

His improvement is clear to see, and, whilst previously deployed wide and through the middle as a centre-forward, he has mostly thrived this campaign playing in what many Watford fans would consider his best position, as a number 10 in behind the striker.

In 17 Championship appearances, 14 of which have come from the start, Joao Pedro has six goals and two assists, which, when sharing the attacking load with the likes of Ismaila Sarr, Keinan Davis and Ken Sema.

Four goals in his last five Championship starts prior to the World Cup break suggest the Brazilian is really starting to thrive under Slaven Bilic's management, which could lead to a monster second half of the campaign as the Hornets seek promotion.

It is that promotion chase which is another strengthening factor for Watford amid this fresh Newcastle interest.

Although not in the top two, with Slaven Bilic in charge, the Hornets have closed the gap to automatic promotion down to just five points, and with a few weeks on the training ground, Watford could come out of the World Cup break looking even stronger.

Indeed, then, Watford's position when it comes to Joao Pedro's future appears strong in January.

The forward recently extended terms at the club, is in fine form, and the Hornets are well in the hunt for promotion and therefore may soon be able to offer Premier League football to Joao Pedro themselves.

That is not to say a January sale is not possible, but, that if it does happen, it will be on Watford's terms, not Newcastle's.