One of the key summer targets for Newcastle United over the next couple of weeks seems to be Liam Delap. The Ipswich Town striker is a player of keen interest to four Premier League clubs, according to TeamTalk, and are ‘holding showdown talks’ in the coming days.
Whilst the Magpies are in contact with Delap via manager Eddie Howe, who is looking to convince him to make the move, they will face competition from top-flight rivals Chelsea, Manchester United and Everton. There are four different projects on the table for Delap, but he would be the same price for each club, given that he has a £30m release clause.
If the North East giants do miss out on the striker, they seem to have a backup option on the cards.
Newcastle chasing Delap alternative
So, it does seem like the Magpies are trying their very best to persuade Delap to make the move to St James’ Park over any of the other clubs interested this summer. However, if that does not work out, their next option could lie in the Premier League, too.
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According to a report from one Spanish news outlet, Newcastle are firmly in the race for Brighton and Hove Albion star Joao Pedro, with the Tynesiders said to be ‘willing to pay’ a fee of around €70m (£59m) to get their man.
The article suggests that Howe’s side view him as ‘as an opportunity to continue growing’ in attacking areas, although they do face a ‘huge transfer battle’ with newly-crowned champions, Liverpool, for his signature.
It is thought that the player wants to leave the Amex, with both the Reds and Newcastle ready to make a ‘good financial offer’, alongside an ‘attractive sporting project’.
Why Joao Pedro would be a good signing
It has been a strong season for Brighton superstar Pedro. Unfortunately, he could not quite help claw his side back into Europe, meaning they will once again go without continental football after finishing eighth in the top flight.
However, the 23-year-old put in some big contributions across the campaign, playing 27 times in the top flight. In that time, he managed to find the back of the net on ten occasions and also registered six assists.
One of the standout things about Pedro’s 2024/25 campaign was his ability to frequently score against the best sides in the Premier League. The Brazilian managed two goals against Arsenal, a winning goal against Man United and a goal and assist against their cross-city rivals, Manchester City. He also grabbed two assists against Aston Villa.
Of course, with Newcastle looking to compete for higher honours next term, it is surely appealing that he can score against some of the biggest clubs in the top flight. Those are sides the Magpies would have to beat to maybe even challenge for the Premier League.
Should the Magpies sign Pedro ahead of Delap, it could well be a better addition to their squad. Of course, it was a fantastic campaign for the England under-21 star despite Ipswich’s relegation; he is now wanted by clubs across the Premier League.
However, he did not notch up as many goal involvements as Pedro managed in the Blue and White stripes of Brighton. Delap scored 12 times this term, but managed just two assists.
With Pedro grabbing 16 goals and assists, he perhaps offers more with his all-around game than the Ipswich striker.
This is further backed up by the stats on FBref. Not only does Pedro average slightly more goals per game than Delap with 0.46 to 0.42, but he also ranks higher in other key metrics.
That includes shot-creating actions, where the Brazilian averages 3.32 per game compared to the Ipswich star’s 2.15.
Goals
0.46
0.42
Key passes
1.39
0.73
Shot-creating actions
3.32
2.15
Goal-creating actions
0.42
0.24
Progressive carries
3.06
2.12
If Newcastle win the race to sign Pedro, he seems like a far better addition to the club than Delap, for his all-around package. Whilst he can regularly find the back of the net, he also creates chances and brings others into play, which could be deadly given the strength of their attack.
As Dougie Critchley said, he is a “special” footballer, and could be perhaps exactly what Newcastle need to take their attack to the next level.
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