Newcastle United have had a bid of around £20 million rejected from Watford for Joao Pedro. Newcastle are keen on the forward, but Watford's stance is that Pedro is not for sale.
The Magpies' interest in the 20-year-old perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise, as Eddie Howe and his staff will know exactly what Pedro can offer them. The forward scored a dramatic, late equaliser for Watford against Newcastle in January.
It was one of just three top flight goals the Brazilian scored last season, as the Hornets were relegated back to the Championship with a whimper.
The game between Newcastle and Watford at St James' Park in January was billed as a huge fixture in the Premier League relegation scrap. Going into the match, Newcastle were 18th in the table with just 11 points from 19 games, with the visitors one place above them with 13 points from 18 games.
Allan Saint-Maximin gave Newcastle the lead after 49 minutes, before Watford missed golden chances to equalise through Josh King and former Magpies midfielder Moussa Sissoko. However, with just three minutes to play, Pedro, known more for his silky dribbling than ability in the air, showed great desire to rise highest to meet a Kiko Femenia cross and to bring Watford level.
The Brazilian cupped his ears while looking towards the Newcastle fans in celebration. It was a deserved point for Watford, with Newcastle only registering one shot on target.
The Magpies ended up avoiding relegation with ease, winning six of their next seven fixtures and making a charge towards the top half. Just 10 days after the clash at St James' Park, Ranieri was replaced by Roy Hodgson, winning just two of their final 19 matches.
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