Liverpool are looking to sign Fluminese wonderkid Joao Pedro, according to reports.
The Brazilian sensation, who has scored seven times in his opening 10 senior matches, a better start than Neymar or Ronaldo managed at the same stage of their careers, has an agreement in place to sign for Watford next January, by which time he will have turned 18, but the Reds are hoping to hijack the deal.
According to Football Insider, if the Reds are prepared to offer £17.6 million, the player could choose to change his destination, although judging by Watford’s tweet from a couple of days ago, when Pedro scored a 30-minute hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Atletico Nacional, they are expecting him to join them as planned. ‘See you in January’, the tweet states.
As the accompanying video shows, Pedro certainly has finishing ability.
Três golos perfeitos ⚽⚽⚽
E uma grande assistência 🅰
Nos vemos em Janeiro, @DeJesusofiicial 🤭👋 https://t.co/fpRBSVexXU
— Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) May 24, 2019
According to the report, as well as the £17.6 million fee to hijack the deal, the Reds would need to pay £6.6 million – the same fee Watford have agreed to pay for the player – as compensation to Fluminese.
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That seems like a lot of money for a player of that age – but that’s the kind of deal that Manchester City struck with Gabriel Jesus and Barcelona did with Neymar. It certainly worked in those two examples.
If the club are confident that Pedro is the next rising star to come out of Brazil, the fee could look like peanuts in a couple of year’s time. He’s definitely one to keep an eye on.