Brighton are set to interrupt the switch file after agreeing a £30 million deal to signal Watford ahead Joao Pedro.
The 21-year-old Brazilian will transfer to the Amex in the summertime having scored 11 objectives in 35 Championship appearances for the Hornets this season.
As with each signing the Albion make, Pedro affords versatility. He has been deployed primarily as a centre ahead within the present marketing campaign by the 374 completely different managers Watford have labored by way of, however may play as a second striker, a quantity 10 or huge on the left.
Brighton’s lack of choices up entrance has been laid naked over the previous week. Evan Ferguson missed the FA Cup semi ultimate with Manchester United by way of damage and Danny Welbeck was pressured off within the second half, that means the Albion completed at Wembley with Deniz Undav main the road.
Undav is but to persuade followers or Roberto De Zerbi that he’s adequate for the Premier League in his restricted alternatives up to now.
With Ferguson nonetheless dominated out and Welbeck solely match sufficient for the bench at Nottingham Forest, De Zerbi opted to play with no recognised centre ahead for the journey to the Metropolis Floor. Julio Enciso crammed the false 9 position.
This lack of striker choices is nothing new. The Albion have lengthy been crying out for ahead reinforcements.
Smashing their earlier greatest outlay on a participant – the £20 million paid for Adam Webster in the summertime of 2019 – by greater than £10 million is an enormous assertion of intent.
To succeed in Brighton, Joao Pedro has been on fairly the journey. He began out as a defensive midfielder within the youth system of Fluminese, progressively transferring additional ahead to turn out to be an attacking midfielder after which a striker.
Watford recognized Pedro’s expertise early and paid £2 million for his companies in October 2018, when the striker had simply turned 17 and was but to make his Fluminese debut.
Pedro didn’t wind up at Vicarage Street till January 2020. Within the 14 months he remained with Fluiminese, he scored seven objectives and registered two assists from 28 appearances.
Remarkably, all seven got here in a sensational spell of 4 matches, only one month after Pedro made his Fluminese debut.
The run began when he got here off the bench to attain an damage time equaliser at residence to Cruzeiro within the Brazilian Cup.
Two days later and Pedro scored twice in its place in opposition to the identical opponents in a 4-1 league win. Pedro then marked his full debut for Fluminese with a primary half hat-trick in a 4-1 Copa Sudamericana victory over Atletico Nacional.
Such kind attracted the attentions of Liverpool and AC Milan amongst others. Rumours started to swirl {that a} European large may purchase Pedro – however to take action they would want to agree a price with each Fluminese and pay Watford £20 million in compensation.
That didn’t occur and so Pedro formally grew to become a Hornet. He made three substitute appearances within the Premier League within the second half of the 2019-20 season as Watford had been relegated, appeared as soon as off the bench within the FA Cup and made his solely begin in a 2-1 third spherical replay defeat at Tranmere Rovers.
Pedro performed a full position in 2020-21 as Watford gained fast promotion from the Championship. He made 38 appearances, contributing 4 assists and 9 objectives to complete second prime scorer after Ismaila Sarr.
He discovered the Premier League in 2021-22 somewhat tougher going. The Hornets yo-yo existence continued with one other relegation, Pedro scoring three objectives in 28 video games.
2022-23 has turn out to be one thing of a breakthrough season again within the Championship regardless of Watford failing to fireside. Pedro has 4 assists to go together with his 11 objectives
These figures can be larger too had he not missed six video games simply after Christmas with an ankle damage.
The potential Pedro has proven has reignited the curiosity of AC Milan, who in accordance with studies had been “bewitched” by the Brazilian, viewing him as a long-term successor to their growing old striker choices Olivier Giroud and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Newcastle United had been additionally reported to be near signing Pedro throughout the January switch window. Brighton swooping in to finish the take care of eight video games of the Premier League season nonetheless to play has enabled them to beat the Saudi Sportswashers to his signature.
Watford have a powerful pedigree on the subject of signing younger gamers from South America, one thing which is usually neglected as a result of they’re a managerial basketcase.
A 12 months earlier than they bought Pedro from Fluminese, the Hornets signed Richarlison direct from the identical Brazilian membership for £13 million. 12 months later and Richarlison departed for an enormous revenue in a £40 million transfer to Everton.
A sure Pervis Estupinan was additionally initially found and dropped at Europe by Watford when at Ecuadorian prime flight aspect LDU Quito, though he by no means performed a sport for the Hornets.
If Joao Pedro can go onto be as a lot of a hit for Brighton as Estupinan has, then will probably be cash effectively spent.