João Pedro Cleared to Join Watford in January After Work Permit Is Granted

​Watford are set to finally complete the signing of 18-year-old Fluminense forward João Pedro in January after the Brazilian was granted a work permit to move to England.


The Hornets originally agreed a deal to sign Pedro back in October 2018, before he had even made his senior debut, and his lack of experience initially meant that he was not permitted to seal a transfer overseas.

​Watford took to their ​official website to confirm the news, with Pedro's five-year contract set to begin on 1st January, 2020.


​The Athletic provide more details about the process, noting that he was initially denied a work permit because of his lack of international appearances, so his application had to be referred to the Exceptions Panel - something which ​Watford were not confident would be successful.


However, the English FA have now endorsed the application for a work permit after being satisfied by the deal as a whole, with the transfer fee and Pedro's wages thought to play a major part in their decision.

Watford will pay Fluminense around £10m, while Pedro himself will earn a wage of around £40,000-a-week, and both of these figures are thought to be substantial enough for the FA to give their blessing.


There had been concerns that, amid all the uncertainty, a bigger team like ​Manchester City would hijack the deal, but those fears have now been put to bed as Pedro is closing in on his long-awaited switch to Vicarage Road.


The news will come as a huge boost for Watford, who are desperate for some attacking flair this season. They find themselves rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, having netted just five goals in their opening ten games.

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With Danny Welbeck and ​Troy Deeney both injured, Andre Gray is Watford's only fit striker, so there may be a place for Pedro in the squad as soon as he arrives.


The teenager, who operates both as a striker and a left winger, has racked up seven goals and two assists in 26 appearances this season.


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Source : 90min