Newcastle target £110m double move for Brighton and Forest Stars | OneFootball

Newcastle Ready to Roll the Dice on Joao Pedro and Elanga as Transfer Plans Heat Up

Joao Pedro Interest Signals Attacking Ambition

Newcastle United’s transfer dealings are beginning to stir, and the latest indications suggest the Magpies are preparing to up the ante for Brighton’s versatile Brazilian forward, Joao Pedro. According to The Telegraph, Pedro would be “interested in making the move to Tyneside” and Newcastle are aware that “the player is likely to be allowed to leave this summer if a suitable bid is made.”

An asking price of around £60 million has been discussed, and Newcastle appear willing to negotiate within that range. It’s a fee that reflects the growing value of flexible forwards with Premier League experience and youth on their side. At just 22 years old, Pedro fits Newcastle’s ideal recruitment profile — young, coachable and with a high ceiling.

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What strengthens Newcastle’s hand is Brighton’s recent acquisition of Charalampos Kostoulas, a promising Greek striker. His arrival potentially clears a pathway for Pedro to move, although the competition for the forward’s signature is fierce. “There is caution too as Joao Pedro has been looked at by other Premier League clubs such as Chelsea,” The Telegraph reports.

There is also a long-standing admiration between Newcastle boss Eddie Howe and Pedro. Howe “has been a huge fan of the forward for several years and was on the verge of signing him in the summer of 2022, before landing Alexander Isak in a club-record £63m deal.” Pedro may now finally get his call.

Elanga on Radar as Newcastle Weigh Dual Swoop

Another player firmly in Newcastle’s sights is Nottingham Forest winger Anthony Elanga. The Swede has impressed at the City Ground, and his attacking dynamism fits the profile of what Howe wants: explosive wide players who can stretch defences.

Newcastle “are aware of his asking price, which is thought to be around £50m,” though Forest have made clear “they want to keep the winger” and “have denied that there has been any direct contact with Newcastle at this stage.”

That said, both Pedro and Elanga are now understood to be “ahead of the likes of West Ham winger Mohammed Kudus and Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in transfer discussions.” Newcastle’s focus is narrowing, and if both deals go through, it could be transformative for their front line.

Whether both can be secured in the same window is uncertain. “It would be a major coup,” The Telegraph notes, particularly as Newcastle prepare for a return to the Champions League.

Defensive Reinforcements and Foreign Focus

Alongside offensive reinforcements, Newcastle are also actively searching for a centre-back. Sporting Lisbon’s Ousmane Diomande, the 21-year-old Ivory Coast international, has been frequently scouted and is seen as a priority defensive target. The club “are also proceeding with options to fill their need for a centre-back and are looking at the foreign market to do so.”

What’s clear is that Newcastle’s recruitment strategy is becoming more covert. “There has been some satisfaction internally that Newcastle’s targets abroad remain a secret,” but history offers precedent. Their move for Sandro Tonali was kept quiet while names of alternative targets were leaked to throw others off the scent. The only known target so far is Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi, whom Newcastle “failed to sign last summer after a lengthy and very public pursuit.”

It would not be surprising if their primary defensive targets this summer are currently playing outside the Premier League, in line with recent successes such as Sven Botman, Bruno Guimaraes and Isak.

Sensible Spending and Contract Priorities

Despite the obvious need for reinforcements, Newcastle are proceeding with caution on several fronts. Their interest in Bryan Mbeumo of Brentford was dropped after “the Brentford player signalled his preference for a move to Manchester United,” and after it became clear “he would only consider a move to Newcastle if they made him their highest paid player.”

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Given that “new contract talks with Isak are pencilled in for later this summer” and that the Sweden international is expected to become the club’s top earner, Newcastle’s decision not to bow to Mbeumo’s demands shows shrewd wage structure discipline.

Likewise, talks to bring in Burnley goalkeeper James Trafford have stalled. Newcastle believe the 22-year-old had a verbal agreement with his club to leave if a fair offer came in, “with Newcastle his club of choice.” However, the £40 million asking price “is way beyond their own valuation.” With Nick Pope still seen as an elite shot-stopper, “Newcastle have more pressing needs and have signalled they will walk away from talks if the asking price remains as it is.”

While the club have also been linked with Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey, it’s their stealth activity abroad that is seen as most promising. Newcastle’s best recent acquisitions — Tonali, Isak, Botman — have all come from European clubs. That blueprint remains in place.

Our View – EPL Index Analysis

This feels like a transfer window that could define our next decade. Joao Pedro is the kind of signing that turns a good Champions League squad into a dangerous one. His flexibility to play anywhere across the front line and his youth means he can be moulded into a Howe-style player — hungry, aggressive, tactically adaptable.

As for Elanga, we’ve needed that kind of pace and width for a while. Too often last season, when the press was broken, we lacked spark in transition. Elanga provides that spark. And let’s be honest, £50 million might seem steep now, but if we’re talking resale value and growth potential, it’s smart business in this market.

What’s even more exciting is the mention of Diomande. If we can quietly add someone like him without the media circus, that’s a masterstroke. It shows how serious we are not just about making up the numbers in Europe, but going deep.

Keeping Isak happy with a new deal is vital. Losing him to an ego wage like Mbeumo’s would have been ridiculous. This club is moving with focus now, and that’s brilliant to see.