Newcastle United manager Steve Bruce has confirmed that they are looking to sign Joe Willock on a permanent deal, as claimed by Talksport.
Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock joined the Magpies on a loan deal this January. Since then, he has proven to be an amazing asset for the club which was on the brink of potentially joining the relegation scrap. With the season coming to an end now, Newcastle have to make a decision on whether they want to bid for Willock in the summer or not. Bruce has made it clear that the club is interested in the 21-year old midfielder and he is expecting to have “big discussions” with Arsenal.
The manager said, “All of us would love to [make it permanent]. He’s 21, a midfield player and he’s got five goals since the turn of the year, so of course we want him – but we have to respect that he’s Arsenal’s player. I’m sure Arsenal will have big discussions this summer, but if there’s a possibility that we can bring him back we’d love to do it.”
Joe Willock has scored more goals since that interview and has joined an elite list of players to have found the back of the net in 7 consecutive games.
Joe Willock: Decent Option For Newcastle?
Joe Willock made 11 appearances for the Magpies this season, scoring eight goals in the process. This includes the winner against West Ham United and last-minute equalisers against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, which underlines the crucial aspect of the goals.
Steve Bruce is interested but it has to be seen if Arsenal are willing to sell the youngster. The Gunners’ midfield has not been productive this season. Dani Ceballos is also expected to return to his parent club and make a decision regarding his future after that.
They are missing a player who can run from box to box and provide energy to the team. Joe Willock is a perfect match for that role. At the same time, there is no surety that he will be playing in every game keeping in mind that Arteta would prefer a midfield partnership of Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey. The Arsenal boss knows that Willock has potential and that’s why he allowed the midfielder to leave on loan so that he can play more games. But the emergence of Emile Smith Rowe means he is another place down the pecking order now.
Before going on a loan, he played an instrumental role in the Gunners’ journey in the Europa League. In 344 minutes of action in the European competition, he found the back of the net three times and also assisted three goals. But Arsenal are not in Europe anymore which means even these opportunities will not be coming by next season.
But given the impact he has had and his camaraderie with the squad, Willock’s signature should be pursued by Newcastle wholeheartedly. He provides able support to the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin and has shown his ability to take his chances which is crucial given that Newcastle fail to create too many of them.
Stats Courtesy: Whoscored.com