The summer transfer window has now closed. Well, the first window, in any case, opened to accommodate the needs of the incipient Club World Cup.
For Newcastle United, concrete movements have been withheld at this stage, albeit with the completion of Lloyd Kelly’s permanent move to Juventus banking £20m for the Tynesiders.
Eddie Howe does want improvements as his Magpies swoop back into the Champions League, however. England defender Marc Guehi and Brentford’s right-sided superstar Bryan Mbeumo have been shortlisted, but the latter has since stressed his desire to sign for Manchester United.
With Miguel Almiron having departed in January, right wing remains a priority position, and Newcastle have centred their sights on an interesting Mbeumo alternative.
Newcastle begin talks for new forward
Amid speculation over moves for Premier League wingers Anthony Elanga and Mohammed Kudus, it’s another plying their trade in England that’s of attention right now.
Indeed, according to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Newcastle have opened talks with Brighton & Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro, with Howe a huge fan and the Seagulls ready to sell.
Available for a figure below £60m, the 23-year-old would fall into a similar financial ballpark as the £60m-rated Mbeumo, thus confirming United have the means to launch an official bid.
Pedro has even expressed a desire to play for Newcastle in a different role – and as it happens, Howe needs some more firepower on the right flank.
Why Newcastle should sign Joao Pedro
Two years ago, having signed for Brighton from Watford in a deal of roughly £30m, Pedro has established himself as one of the most dynamic forwards in England’s top tier, posting 30 goals and ten assists across 70 appearances.
Not just a goalscorer, Pedro ranked among the top 1% of forwards during the 2024/25 Premier League season for assists, the top 17% for passes attempted and shot-creating actions, and the top 12% for progressive passes per 90, as per FBref.
As it happens, such balanced performances have drawn Mbeumo up as one of his most comparable players. The Cameroon international, principally a right winger but more than capable as a focal frontman, scored 20 goals across 38 top-flight fixtures last year.
But he’s not just a marksman: Mbeumo created 17 big chances, and completed 1.4 dribbles and won 4.2 duels on average across the year; Pedro, meanwhile, created 11 big chances, averaging 1.1 dribbles and 4.9 duels per outing, metrics courtesy of Sofascore.
With Brighton’s star forward showcasing such an exciting range of creative and athletic qualities, and with a wealth of experience across various attacking roles, it might just be a deal that works out for the Toon, having profiled Mbeumo extensively.
Centre-forward
119
34
18
Left winger
40
14
0
Attacking midfield
27
11
1
Right winger
5
0
0
Mbeumo might be the talk of the town in the goalscoring department, but Pedro’s not exactly a shoddy shooter himself. In fact, content creator Ryan Adsett has praised the star’s “world-class” finishing, drawing attention to his “magnificent technique.”
Moreover, the Brazilian’s willingness to play ‘out of position’ bespeaks his intelligence and maturity, for he understands Alexander Isak is a moveless monolith at number nine, so staggeringly good at his job that few – if any – strikers playing football today would be able to take his place.
Who knows, Pedro’s ability to thrive across any number of areas could see him become an even better fit in the long term than the Bees man, with Howe known to use such protean profiles, like that of Anthony Gordon, across the frontline.
If Pedro really is willing to play out on the right to best serve the Newcastle project, this has got to be a deal PIF see over the line. His dynamism and desire to play at St. James’ Park suggest he could become the latest superstar created under Howe’s wing.
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