Brighton have rejected a £50 million bid for João Pedro from Newcastle, as the Magpies target making a move this summer.
Pedro contributed to 10 goals and 10 assists last season for the Seagulls, and has been a major hit on the South Coast since his £30 million arrival from Watford.
Why do Brighton want so much money?
It is no secret that Joao Pedro wants a move away this summer, with a combination of agent talk and poor antics on the pitch. Pedro missed the final games of the season, including the 4-1 thumping of Tottenham Hotspur on the final day.
It is believed Brighton will look for a much larger figure, although current public knowledge is only speculation. Albion have been known for their historical major sales like Moisés Caicedo [£115M], Marc Cucurella [£60m], and Ben White [£50m].
Pedro was the gold star when it came to important goals during his time on the South Coast. Memories upon memories spring to mind. When there was a game that required a big moment, a quiet game with nothing much happening, or a side that the Seagulls would historically struggle against; João Pedro was almost always responsible for creating an important goal.
Despite the major moments, the questions about his consistency during everything in between remain to be seen. It is nice to score the club’s first European goal, or a last minute winner against Manchester United, but how about the visits to Leicester?
A minor criticism for a player with the world at his feet, but the red card against Brentford was the final nail in the coffin of his time at Brighton. The inconsistency in showings mixed with bad temperament towards the end of the season saw Pedro play his last game of the season a little earlier than expected. Of course, Brighton were also pushing for European positions at this time.
Is he worth it?
With the bad moments in mind, the good still fail to be shadowed out. I have been able to witness Brighton top their ‘Group of Death’ in the Europa League in the same lifetime of playing in League 1. Whilst everyone deserves their credit in the journey to the moment, João Pedro was massively to thank.
The gene to be a ‘big game player’ is a rarity. Many top level players struggle to see games over the line, or make a difference when it matters. A big moments player warrants a big moments fee. Scoring and rescuing games is one thing, but if he is doing that in the Champions League or Cup Finals for a bigger club, the fee will have already been repaid for that alone.
I wish it didn’t have to end in this way, and perhaps with certain factors swaying in a different momentum, perhaps it could’ve been different.
Newcastle fans should feel lucky to sign João Pedro, but it won’t be as easy as they thought it would be.
