Eddie Howe and Anthony Elanga (Photo: Stu Forster, Molly Darlington/Getty Images)
Newcastle United reportedly decided to step up its efforts to sign Brighton Forward Joa Pedro this summer after seeing a bid for Anthony Elanga that was rejected by Nottingham Forest.
So far, it has proven to be a slightly frustrating summer for Newcastle, and it appears that Eddie Howe is not entirely satisfied with the lack of new additions to his offense.
That’s according to a Give Me Sport report that says the magpie is in talks to sign a £60 million rated Pedro after the magpie couldn’t go anywhere with Elanga.
It remains to be seen how realistic Pedro’s deal is. The report notes that his £60 million valuation is similar to what Forest wanted from Elanga.
Newcastle chases Joan Pedro after Anthony Elanga’s frustration
Newcastle fans will certainly be pretty pleased with Pedro’s signature as an Elanga replacement, but how do the two players compare?
It’s probably fair to say that we’re not comparable here, despite both being the top targets of Newcastle’s offensive.
The statistics below (from the 2024/25 Premier League season) aren’t necessarily going to talk about the whole thing, but Pedro is more like a striker, while Elanga is a more natural winger…
| player | game | the goal | assist |
| Joan Pedro | 27 | 10 | 6 |
| Anthony Luna | 38 | 6 | 11 |
Elanga played mostly on Forest’s right flank last season, but Pedro was mostly run as central, even if he fills up widely at times.
It will be interesting to see what role Hau has in mind when he brings him in, but it’s hard to see him get many first opportunities as a central striker when Alexander Isaac is already at St James Park.
Elanga may have offered Newcastle more options to broaden and more options to provide ISAK with quality crosses and passes, but perhaps Hoee feels that Pedro could also be molded into such players.