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Joao Pedro was left out of the Brighton squad that beat Liverpool on Tuesday(Image: Andrew Kearns/CameraSport)

Joao Pedro was omitted from the Brighton squad that beat Liverpool on Tuesday night due to an 'altercation' with Seagulls defender Jan Paul van Hecke rather than recent transfer speculation, it has been revealed.

The forward, 23, has recently been serving a three-match ban but was available to feature in the 3-2 thriller at the Amex Stadium.

There was no place for the Brazilian in Fabian Hurzeler's squad, however, with the Brighton boss saying post-match that Pedro was absent due to "private reasons".

Pedro's omission came just days after the former Watford star was touted as a possible summer transfer target for the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool with the season drawing to a close.

The Athletic, though, have now outlined that a training ground bust-up with Van Hecke in the build-up to Brighton's previous Premier League fixture against Wolves is the reason behind Pedro's absence in midweek.

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While little is detailed about the altercation, it's noted that Pedro was already suspended for said match against Wolves after being shown a red card for violent conduct against Brentford back in April.

Both Pedro and Van Hecke have been pivotal figures for the Seagulls this season, featuring 27 and 33 times respectively in the league.

Pedro is Brighton's joint top scorer with 10 goals this season and his returns have not gone unnoticed elsewhere ahead of a summer where a number of Premier League clubs have designs on bolstering their attacking options.

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The Telegraph revealed last week that there is growing interest in Pedro, who has scored 30 times across 70 matches since moving to the Amex for £30million in 2023.

The Seagulls striker had a bust-up with Jan Paul van Hecke in training(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside)

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Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are the three clubs who are said to be most interested in Pedro; the Premier League's top two have already been linked with an array of forwards, while Chelsea's current regime have have splurged over £1billion on transfers since coming into power.

Pedro's ability to play in a variety of forward positions is understood to appeal to his high-profile suitors.

Arsenal are noted to be long-term admirers of Pedro and it's said they have given consideration to signing him in previous transfer windows.

Brighton are in a strong negotiating position if they do decide to cash in on Pedro with the striker under contract on the south coast until the summer of 2028.

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