Brighton’s £100m Star in spotlight after row, with Liverpool and Newcastle keen | OneFootball

Pedro’s Brighton Future in Doubt After Training Ground Flashpoint

Price Tag Rises, But Performance Falls

Brighton’s calculated gamble on João Pedro is entering a critical juncture. The Brazilian forward, signed from Watford for a then-club record £30million, now finds himself dropped for Brighton’s final two games of the season. As reported by TalkSPORT, this decision followed a training ground altercation with teammate Jan Paul Van Hecke.

Crucially, sources insist the incident is not being viewed internally as a tactic to engineer a move away. Yet the timing is as suspicious as it is significant. Brighton have a history of extracting maximum value from their prized assets and, according to TalkSPORT’s Transfer Notebook, they placed a £100million price tag on Pedro back in April. Teammate Carlos Baleba was valued similarly.

Photo: IMAGO

Financial Power Gives Brighton Control

Pedro’s possible departure will not be dictated by financial need. The club’s record turnover of £222.4million in 2023/24, fuelled by Moisés Caicedo’s £115million sale to Chelsea, means Tony Bloom is under no pressure to sell. Yet that same windfall could be a signal of how the club now values its elite performers.

Sources close to Bloom suggest he sees Pedro and Baleba in the same bracket as Caicedo. While that might be difficult to justify based on this season’s output, it reflects Brighton’s confidence in their development model and long-term valuation strategy.

Stats Struggle to Justify Hype

Pedro’s numbers don’t scream £100million. Ten goals and six assists across all competitions this season, alongside just 20 shots on target, is an underwhelming return for a player with such a high ceiling. He’s been capped three times by Brazil and scored 30 goals with ten assists in 70 Brighton appearances, but much of that promise remains theoretical.

And yet, it’s his talent — not the statistics — that continues to draw attention. Troy Deeney, his former Watford teammate, offered glowing praise back in September 2024, telling TalkSPORT:

“He was exactly what you’re seeing now,” Deeney said.“The only difference is that he’s got a bit more physically bigger. He’s a stronger specimen.”

Deeney added:

“It’s funny, when he came in, he was young, not arrogant but just had that swagger about him that he just thought he should be playing.”

“He’s destined to go to the very, very top… He’s just that good. You just know you’ve got to play him.”

Balancing Talent and Temperament

What Pedro needs now is maturity to match his natural flair. A row in training may be nothing more than a heat-of-the-moment issue, but it places a spotlight on temperament at a time when Brighton are assessing whether he is worth the same kind of fee Caicedo attracted.

Given Brighton’s track record in the transfer market, expect discussions around Pedro to intensify this summer — even if no sale materialises. The player has the attributes, but must now show consistency, composure, and clarity to take the next step.

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Expectant Football Fan Perspective

If you’re a supporter of a top-six Premier League club — or a European heavyweight with money to burn — João Pedro will feel like the sort of high-upside punt worth exploring. But there’s a fair dose of scepticism in the air. Ten goals and six assists are hardly eye-watering numbers for a forward who plays in an attacking, possession-based system like Brighton’s. Even more damning: just 20 shots on target for the entire campaign. That speaks to either a lack of killer instinct or tactical misuse.

Still, you watch him and see flashes. The swagger Deeney described isn’t arrogance, it’s confidence wrapped in youth. And Brighton players don’t tend to get priced at £100million unless there’s serious belief behind the scenes. Could Liverpool, under Arne Slot’s fresh ideas, look at him as a versatile option across the front line? Maybe. But for now, most fans would want to see a much stronger end-product before entertaining that sort of fee.

It’s one thing to have potential. It’s another to deliver when the moment demands it. Pedro still has time, but time in football is only as generous as your next big performance.