Joao Pedro: a smart buy for any Premier League club

Watford forward Joao Pedro has been heavily linked with a move to Newcastle this week, with Everton, Leicester, Nottingham Forest and Leeds also interested, but why is the Brazilian so in demand?

At just 20-years-old, Pedro stood out as one of the Hornets’ better players last season and has the potential to get a lot better.

This article breaks down the player’s stats since joining Watford in 2020, to see what he will offer to any potential suitors.

 

Defensive

For any team, having players who can press from the front is vital, especially in the Premier League where high pressing football is becoming increasingly popular.

Joao Pedro is a hard worker, who not only contributes to his team going forward, but also when his side are out of possession, too, covering lots of ground to help put opposing players under pressure.

Last season, Pedro averaged 0.7 tackles, 0.5 interceptions and 0.6 clearances per match, showing him to be a defensive asset, despite usually playing as a centre-forward.

This will be important to Eddie Howe should he join Newcastle before the window closes. As we saw in the Magpies’ 3-3 draw with Manchester City, high pressing was something they tried to do throughout the game. In that sense, Pedro fits the profile of a Newcastle striker.

Played: 78

Tackles per 90: 0.7

Interceptions per 90: 0.5

Clearances per 90: 0.6

Fouls per 90: 0.5

 

Playmaking

Joao Pedro is a versatile player. In his career, he has played as a centre-forward the most, but also as a left winger, a right winger, a second striker and an attacking midfielder. This is something that has made him even more sought-after this summer.

However, despite sometimes playing as a midfielder, Pedro’s passing stats aren’t exactly brilliant. Last season, playing in the Premier League, he had a pass success rate of just 69.9%, suggesting he can give the ball away at times, which must have been frustrating for the Hornets’ fans.

Given he played on the wing on eight occasions in the 2021-22 campaign, you would also expect him to average more than 0.1 crosses per game. In that sense, he isn’t a traditional-style winger who gets to the by-line and whips the ball in. Instead, he likes to cut in onto either foot and shoot, rather than find a teammate in the box.

Pedro also averaged 0.6 key passes per game last season. Again, this is relatively low for an attack-minded player. In total, he has chalked up just five assists in his entire four-year Watford career.

But you have to remember that the Brazilian is still only 20 years old, so he has a lot of potential to improve this side of his game. Also, Pedro was playing in a pretty shocking Watford team, and easily looked like one of their best players; so he may just need better teammates around him before you can really see his quality.

Passes per 90: 19.6

Pass success: 69.9%

Crosses per 90: 0.1

Key passes per 90: 0.6

Assists: 5

 

Attacking

Naturally, as an attacking player, a key attribute of Pedro’s is his confidence in front of goal.

A good finisher, who can score with his left and right foot, from outside the box and even an occasional header… with youth on his side, Pedro would be a great addition to any team in need of a long-term striker.

Last season, he was consistently a threat. Pedro made an average of 1.7 shots on target for Watford, so he always backed himself to score. However, his finishing was far from prolific, scoring only three goals in the 2021-22 campaign.

In his 78 appearances for Watford in total, which of course includes a full season in the Championship, the Brazilian has scored 14 goals for the club. Combining this with assists, this gives Pedro a goal contribution per game average of 0.24.

Again, these aren’t amazing numbers… but as mentioned he is still a very young player, and he still stood out in Watford’s team last season. Despite scoring only three, this was Pedro’s first taste of regular Premier League football, so it’s understandable he didn’t reach the heights expected of him.

Arguably, the best part of the 20-year-old’s game is his ability on the ball.

Pedro was Watford’s best dribbler last season, averaging 2.2 successful dribbles pr game. The ownness was on Pedro to carry the ball forward a LOT for Watford, given they didn’t have many players with the ability to do so. Thus, he helped carry the ball from attack to defence so his team could build attacks, although these were few and far between for the Hornets.

In a better Premier League team, Joao Pedro could become an excellent t player if given the time to reach his sky-high potential.

Dribbles per 90: 2.2

Fouls won per 90: 1.1

Shots per 90: 1.7

Goals: 14

Goal contributions per game: 0.24