Newcastle United are increasingly confident they can sign Joe Willock this summer, according to The Daily Telegraph.
What’s the latest Newcastle transfer news?
The report claims Newcastle will make an offer for the 21-year-old midfielder after a hugely successful loan spell on Tyneside, having scored seven times in his thirteen games.
One of the club’s saviours this season, only Callum Wilson has scored more and, during the four games he’s played alongside the England striker and Allan Saint-Maximin, Newcastle are unbeaten. Granted, that’s only four games but they came against fallen champions Liverpool, an impressive West Ham United, FA Cup winners Leicester City and Southampton. During those fixtures, the team have scored eleven goals, so the trio look as if they are capable of helping the team attack some of the biggest teams in the Premier League.
Manager Steve Bruce is understood to have made Willock’s signing a priority and the club are said to be putting together an offer to Arsenal.
How much would Joe Willock cost?
Last month, The Guardian revealed a price tag of around £20m was likely which would be a significant outlay in a post-pandemic market.
Still, this is a 21-year-old English player with huge sell-on value and Willock has made such an impact that not paying it would seem very short-sighted indeed.
Clearly, given all of the problems with the club’s ownership over the years, things rarely seem that simple for Newcastle United.
What has Allan Saint-Maximin said about Willock?
Speaking to Sky Sports recently, star man Saint-Maximin revealed he hoped the club would assert their ambition and try to sign Willock on a permanent basis.
“We have to buy more players like Joe Willock, he can be really great for the team and for myself,” he said.
“I am 24 years old, and have to think about the national team, about winning trophies, and hope the club can give me that.
“My relationship is really good with Joe inside and outside the pitch, and you can see how that helps a team when you have players like that – like Harry Kane and Heung-min Son at Tottenham.”
