For the past week, we’ve been only been bringing good news about João Pedro to Watford fans. The youngster’s performances for Fluminense have been terrific, and the Hornets have a pretty good reason to be excited about the signing.
But today, some claims from Brazil could be a reason to worry about his future at the club, and part of it involves Liverpool interest. According to Globo Esporte, the 17-year-old could end up not moving to Watford at all.
Globo found out that there’s a detail in the contract which says the transfer may not happen in case the player chooses not to go, or Fluminense don’t conclude the move. It’s called a ‘disruption clause’, which includes a fine of €20m to be paid to the Premier League side.
Normal transfers normally don’t have that kind of clause, but in this case, Watford have only signed a ‘promise of purchase’. That’s because João Pedro hasn’t reached majority yet, so he can’t officially move.
And, in theory, this allows others, like Liverpool, the chance to steal him.
The Hornets have only paid €2.5m for now, and have other €7.5m left for later, which are basically some bonuses to be triggered. João Pedro turns 18 in September, and is supposed to move in January 2020.
Globo Esporte claims that the player’s recent form, having scored seven goals in his first ten matches as a professional, has caught the attention of European giants, who have made contact to know about the situation. One of these clubs would be Liverpool.
Since Watford paid very little for this transfer, triggering the clause would make a lot of sense to Fluminense. For example, if a club offers €30m, the Brazilian side pay the Hornets a €20m fine, and still get €10m. That’s more than the €7.5m they are about to get from the English side.
So depending on how João Pedro’s season goes, perhaps some European giant, with Liverpool the only club mentioned, may become convinced to pay a big amount for him, and that’s how the Watford move could collapse.
