Leeds United are reportedly closing in on the loan capture of Watford forward Joao Pedro, with teammate Ismaila Sarr also set to join the Whites.
Leeds United have been strongly linked with a move for Ismaila Sarr in the last couple of days. However, Sarr may not be the only Watford player potentially on his way to Elland Road this summer, with Italian outlet Tuttomercatoweb reporting that the Whites are close to signing 20-year-old Brazilian forward Joao Pedro on loan as well.
Leeds have got a lot of their business done early this summer, preparing Jesse Marsch’s squad well for the Premier League season. They have made an excellent start with a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in their Premier League opener. However, they are still short of striking options at Elland Road, which has fueled numerous several rumours in recent days.
Joao Pedro is the latest name to be linked with a summer move to Leeds and could be closing in on a loan switch to the Yorkshire outfit, as per Tuttomercatoweb. The Italian publication states that Leeds “are among the most active teams of the last few hours” in the Premier League and are “one step away” from completing a double swoop on Watford for their two star forwards, Ismaila Sarr and Joao Pedro.
The Whites have been interested in Sarr for long while now, and he would move to Elland Road on a permanent move for a reported fee of under €30 million. Pedro, on the other hand, is expected arrive on loan, with TMW not mentioning anything about a purchase option at the end of the loan term.
Pedro joined Watford from Fluminense in January 2020 and has netted 14 goals in 76 appearances for the Hornets. Last season, the Brazilian forward scored three times from 28 outings, who got relegated to the Championship. The season prior to that, the 20-year-old netted nine strikes and registered two assists, helping the Hornets earn promotion to the Premier League.
While Pedro’s numbers do not suggest he is a prolific striker, he remains a real talent with a huge upside and potentially high sell-on value, much like Leeds’s previous targets Sekou Mara and Arnaud Kalimuendo. But crucially, he already has Premier League experience, having clocked up more than 1600 top-flight minutes.
The Brazilian forward would offer decent cover and competition for Leeds’s main man Patrick Bamford. Pedro can operate through the middle as a No. 9 or a second striker and, at just 20, he fits the profile of what Leeds should be looking at and could be one for the future if the Whites iron out a purchase option at the end of his loan term.
That said, Pedro’s addition could potentially block Joe Gelhardt’s path to the first team. Also, the 20-year-old is a key player at Vicarage Road, featuring in both of Watford’s Championship games this term, scoring once. So it would be surprising if they parted ways with both Sarr and Pedro this summer, since it would jeopardise their hopes of returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking.