Talks intensify between Newcastle and Watford for striker Joao Pedro, with Hornets wanting £30m

Newcastle and Watford have still to agree a fee for Joao Pedro as talks intensify over a £30million deal.

The Magpies previously had a bid of £20m rejected but remain keen on the Brazilian, who can play as a striker or out wide in attack.

Discussions have centred around a £25m base fee with add-ons and a ten percent sell-on but Watford are pushing for the £30m fee.

Pedro, 20, remains one of Watford's most prized assets and the Championship club are committed to keeping the player after seeing Emmanuel Dennis leave for Nottingham Forest.

The Magpies view Pedro as a player who can still improve massively given his age and he would suit their needs at the top end of the pitch.

He is now in his fourth season at Vicarage Road having joined from Fluminense in 2020, scoring 14 times from 76 appearances in all competitions since then.

Watford head coach Rob Edwards previously said that a further offer could be entertained by the club, with himself and the board likely to sit down and discuss it.

'The bid (£20m previous) that has come in that’s been talked about, it’s not anywhere near the level that we’d expect it to be for him, but we’re involved I’m involved in that conversation,' he said.

'If anything else was to come in again, then we’ll sit down and talk about it as a club and as a board.'

Eddie Howe and Newcastle's recruitment department have been frustrated this summer by their inability to land their top targets.

The club has been linked with, at various stages over the summer, the likes of Jack Harrison, Harvey Barnes and James Maddison.

The Saudi-backed takeover of the club last year is likely to have contributed to selling clubs putting what some are calling a 'Newcastle' premium on players the club are interested in signing.