Striker was 'upset' when Newcastle bid failed, now he's worth £100m after 20-goal season
Today at 12:15 PM
News of Callum Wilson’s injury setback might not have come as a surprise, but that does not mean it was not extremely frustrating as Newcastle United look to turn around their Premier League campaign.
Alexander Isak has five goals in his last seven top-flight games. Though, with Newcastle facing a gruelling run of six games between now and January 4th, Eddie Howe really could have done with Wilson back at his disposal.
The England international is not only Newcastle’s back-up centre-forward, after all, but also the only other senior striker in The Magpies roster.
Anthony Gordon has played as a striker at times, with mixed results. Summer signing Will Osula, meanwhile, has been trusted by Howe to feature in only 10 league minutes since arriving from Sheffield United.
The most painful thing as far as Wilson is concerned is that his luck appeared to be turning following a back issue that had kept him out until late-November. That was, of course, until the injury curse which has followed him throughout his career struck again.
So if Newcastle were thinking about signing another striker in 2025, Wilson’s latest absence will surely only strengthen that resolve.
Newcastle United need a striker but Brighton want £100m for Joao Pedro
TBR understands that Newcastle United are eyeing Yuri Alberto, the 31-goal Corinthians talisman torn over a move away from his beloved Brazilian outfit.
The Tynesiders are eyeing another young Brazilian too. Copa Libertadores winners Botafogo value Igor Jesus at £30 million.
TBR can also confirm that Newcastle United remain keen on Brighton’s Joao Pedro; the third Selecao hotshot on their radar and a player they offered £30 million for back in 2022.
Watford’s refusal to accept Newcastle’s proposal left Joao Pedro, by his own admission, rather downbeat.
"I had this negotiation with Newcastle," Joao Pedro recalled, speaking to Globo Esporte. "Until months ago, I was upset about not leaving.”
12 months later, Joao Pedro’s mood was improved by his arrival at Brighton and Hove Albion for a similar fee. Newcastle had already spent £60 million on Isak and were therefore out of contention by the time 2023 rolled around.
But, two-and-a-half years on, with Wilson unavailable again and Newcastle struggling to tie down Alexander Isak to a new deal, Joao Pedro is likely to come under consideration again. Or not, perhaps, thanks to a price-tag in the region of £100 million.
It seems unlikely in the extreme that a Newcastle side who have struggled with Financial Fair Play issues in recent times would have the capacity to more than treble the bid they made back in 2022. Brighton’s eye-watering valuation, meanwhile, is testament to Joao Pedro’s emergence as one of the most intelligent, versatile and complete centre-forwards anywhere in the Premier League.
Last season was the most prolific of his career, with 20 goals in all competitions.
Hugo Ekitike has shined after snubbing Newcastle
Having netted 11 already over in Germany, meanwhile, Hugo Ekitike looks well-placed to break the 20-goal barrier for the first time himself at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ekitike, another silky, skilful number nine who like Joao Pedro can create as well as score, also could have become a Newcastle player. But while it was Watford’s decision to reject that £30 million Magpies bid, Ektike’s Newcastle snub was all his own work.
"I'm not setting aside everything Newcastle did for me," Ekitike told Le10 Sport after choosing Paris Saint-Germain instead, joining from Reims in 2023. "If I had to go abroad, I would have gone there.
“But when PSG wants you, and you're French, you can't refuse."
Now under contract until 2029, and given how much Frankfurt tend to demand for their prized assets [see Randal Kolo Muani’s £77 million switch to PSG], Ekitike is another striker from Newcastle’s past who seems unlikely to become part of Newcastle’s future any time soon.
