Name: Joao Pedro
Club: Watford
Date of Birth: 26 September 2001
Position: Centre-forward, Left winger
Joao Pedro – his career so far
Joao Pedro is one of the players at Watford who’s already being touted as having the potential for big things in the immediate future of the club and that’s regardless of the fact he can only boast with a couple of appearances for their senior team since joining the club.
Of course, we’ve known about his signing for a while now since the 18-year-old Brazilian superstar in making has penned the deal to join the Hornets back in October 2018, while he was a youth player at Brazilian club Fluminense FC, based in Rio de Janeiro.
But the youngster would still remain back in his home country until he turned 18 before making a huge leap of faith straight into the clutches of the English top-flight. And his stint with Fluminese has left him with rave reviews and some incredible performances that can surely boast well for the future.
The now 18-year-old centre-forward has netted seven times and assisted further two across 28 games played for their senior squad, having made his debut in March 2019 when he came on as a late substitute in the game against none other than Flamengo. And it was the start of something truly great.
Pedro even scored a perfect hat-trick against Atletico Nacional and won the Copa do Brasil Goal of the Tournament with a sensational overhead kick against Cruzeiro in the 7th minute of injury time.
He finally arrived at London Colney in December 2019 to join up with his new teammates in his current home alongside the Hornets, and his five-year contract with the club was lodged on January 1, 2020.
The youngster made his Watford debut in the FA Cup against Tranmere Rovers on January 4, 2020 but could only muster one more appearance before football was put on hold. But if the early signs are anything to go by at all, Pedro could have a big future in the Premier League.
Transfer latest
With Pedro being a really fresh signing for the Hornets, it doesn’t come as a big surprise to see there are no transfer news or transfer rumours currently surrounding the young Brazilian talent. But interestingly enough, the deal wasn’t as straightforward for the club as it may seem at first.
Pedro was a teenager when he was tied down in a deal in 2018 but there were other Premier League clubs already well aware of him. Some older transfer rumours suggest Jurgen Klopp was keen on bringing him to Liverpool and the Reds almost derailed Watford’s plans altogether.
Luckily for the Hornets, they couldn’t get the deal over the line and Pedro ended up signing for Watford instead. That one was sure to give the supporters a shock or two.
Since then, the only Watford news on the youngster to get out of the camp was praise and updates on some of his first steps in the U23 team. Big things are expected from him and it will be interesting to follow his progress up the ladder.
Player analysis
Pedro is primarily a centre-forward but has the skill set, the pace and the technique to slot out wide on the left flank if needed and do a more than just a decent job out there as well. But unlike many of the Brazilian superstars who like to play with the ball and show off their incredible technique, the 18-year-old is a very direct player.
He will often be seen running at his opponents with intent and trying to beat his marker as quickly and as effectively as possible, creating and exploiting space in the process. He seems to be more of a traditional winger when played out wide, often opting to keep the width and stretch the opposition’s backline.
And finally, he does have a keen eye for goals and has been lighting up the stage back in Brazil despite his young age and inexperience. Pedro should be a great fit at Watford and could bring more energy, excitement and goals to the Hornets in the near future.
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