Newcastle United’s ‘lucky’ Dan Ashworth escape as Alexander Isak U-turn truth revealed
Dan Ashworth - now at Manchester United - was advised to sign Joao Pedro as Newcastle United sporting director
Former Premier League striker Glenn Murray has revealed he urged Dan Ashworth to sign Joao Pedro at Newcastle United.
Two years ago, the Magpies were looking for a young forward to rival Callum Wilson for a first-team spot. The England international had endured an injury-ravaged campaign - a feature throughout his time on Tyneside.
Chris Wood arrived as a stop-gap signing just months earlier but Newcastle were keen to splash the cash early into their Saudi-backed era. Pedro, then at Watford, was reportedly close to signing for £30million.
Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano even confirmed the deal before a last-minute U-turn. He ultimately stayed at Watford for another season before joining Brighton last summer.
As it happened, the Magpies broke the bank for Alexander Isak weeks later - a move that has proven a masterstroke. The Swede is now regarded as one of Europe’s best strikers after netting 25 goals last season.
But speaking to Brighton’s YouTube channel, former Seagulls striker Murray recalled a conversation with Ashworth, now at Manchester United, about Pedro. He said: "I must admit when I played you guys with Watford, he was the one that made you go 'Wow, who is this kid?' The things he could do, he (Pedro) was so good.
"I think there’s a lot more growth in him, he has loads more to give. We’ve seen glimpses from last year of what he is capable of and his tally was impressive in the end. But, I think he can get so much better."
"I’ll be honest, he was my first call back to Dan Ashworth. I was literally getting on the train and I was like ‘You’ve got to sign this kid’. He was that type of player where you were just blown away by him."