Newcastle United consider move for Spanish star eyed as replacement for Chelsea new boy

Newcastle United will face competition from Premier League rivals Brighton and Hove Albion if they decide to make a move for Espanyol defender Adria Pedrosa.

The 24-year-old left-back has recently entered the final 12 months of his current deal with the La Liga club and has attracted attention from a number of clubs in Spain and around Europe.

Brighton are considering the former Spain Under-21 international as a replacement for Marc Cucurella after the Seagulls left-back joined Chelsea in a deal worth an initial £55million on Friday.

Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo have suggested Newcastle have also shown an interest in Pedrosa and have stated the Magpies have ‘a known economic muscle’ that will help them in the transfer market.

A move for the left-back would be something of a surprise following the arrival of Matt Targett on a permanent deal earlier this summer.

Magpies boss Eddie Howe does possess backup options for the former Aston Villa star after the decision to hand a new contract to long-serving defender Paul Dummett.

Matt Ritchie is also capable of filling in at left-back and Jamal Lewis remains part of the setup at St James Park - but is still battling back to full fitness after suffering a calf injury earlier in pre-season.

Speaking about the former Norwich City full-back recently, Howe told NewcastleWorld: “Jamal, we hope, can stay fit and show us what he’s capable of. I believe in him as a player but he’s just had really bad luck.

“He’s got a lot to offer physically, we’ve certainly seen that in pre-season - an incredible athlete.

“He needs consistency of training at the moment that he needs, and hopefully he can get that.”

Despite the reported interest from Newcastle and Brighton in a deal for Pedrosa, Espanyol are said to be keen on retaining the services of their highly-rated defender and are continuing with discussions over a new contract.

The club’s sporting director Domingo Catoira was described as ‘optimisic’ that a compromise could be reached following a recent meeting with Pedrosa’s agent.