Overview

• Brighton rejected Newcastle’s initial £50 million offer and signalled it will only sell Joao Pedro for around £60 million plus add-ons
• Chelsea has opened preliminary talks for the Brazilian forward according to transfer insider Fabrizio Romano
• Brighton’s asking price factors in a 20% sell-on fee owed to Watford once any deal is completed
• Pedro is currently on holiday but remains keen on a move that guarantees him first-choice striker status
• Newcastle are weighing whether to raise their bid or pursue alternative targets with impending departures of sporting director Paul Mitchell and CEO Darren Eales influencing club strategy