Manchester United and Liverpool are reportedly already in negotiations to sign Brighton & Hove Albion attacker Joao Pedro next year.
The 23-year-old has been restricted to just nine Premier League appearances this season due to fitness problems but has excelled when available, producing four goals of his own and three assists.
In recent weeks, speculation over a move to one of the Premier League's Big Six has heated up, and it has been suggested that all of Arsenal, Man United and Liverpool are in the chase.
According to Brazilian outlet Trivela, the latter two clubs are trying to steal a march on the competition and have already entered talks with Pedro's entourage over a transfer in 2025.
The attacker's camp apparently feel that he is '100% ready' to make a move to a club with more pedigree, and a transfer in the summer of 2025 is now considered 'very likely'.
'Virtually impossible' for Pedro to leave in January
© Imago
However, the outlet also claims that it is 'virtually impossible' to envisage Pedro leaving Brighton midway through the campaign, as any attempts will be met with stiff resistance from the Seagulls board.
Brighton can still demand a sizeable fee for the former Watford man, though, as he signed a long-term contract until 2028 when he arrived at the Amex in the summer of 2023.
The Seagulls forked out £28.5m to bring Pedro to the South Coast last year and can justifiably demand a healthy profit on that fee as well, given his quick re-adaptation to Premier League football.
The 23-year-old briefly turned out in the top flight for Watford in 2019-20 and 2021-22 either side of the Hornets' promotions and relegations, and he found the back of the net 20 times in all competitions for the Seagulls in his debut campaign.
Pedro's 2023-24 haul included six Europa League goals from as many matches and five strikes in the FA Cup; only Ellis Simms and Sammie Szmodics (six each) scored more than him in the latter competition.
Where could Pedro fit in at Man United, Liverpool?
© Imago
A versatile right-footed attacker, Pedro is most comfortable through the centre as either the focal point of the offence or the player just off the striker, opening up a couple of avenues at Man United.
The ex-Watford protege would ostensibly be a good fit for Ruben Amorim's 3-4-3 system, potentially as one of the two number 10s alongside Bruno Fernandes in support of Rasmus Hojlund or a new centre-forward.
A handful of Man United's other options in the number 10 slots - Alejandro Garnacho, Marcus Rashford, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee - are all at risk of the axe, as the Red Devils have supposedly made just eight or nine players unsellable under any circumstances.
If Pedro was to join Liverpool, the Brazilian would likely challenge the misfiring Darwin Nunez for the striker's spot, as Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai are currently battling for the number 10 position.
Pedro averages a goal or assist every 84.4 minutes in the Premier League this season, while Nunez is only directly involved in a top-flight goal once every 207.6 minutes on average in 2024-25.
Ben Knapton
