Arsenal: Joe Willock contract so obvious it’s right

On Thursday morning, Arsenal handed Joe Willock a new four-year contract. It seems like an obvious move, but these obvious moves can sometimes be missed. Thankfully for the Gunners, they did not.

It is easy to overlook the obvious. When then something is staring you right in the face, oftentimes, you look for the more acute, nuanced solution. And yet, the next step is right in front of you.

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Arsenal have often tended to manage their squad in this manner. They zag when everyone is zigging when zigging is the right thing to do. Nowhere has this been more noticeable — and detrimental — than in their handling of contracts.

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As has been discussed at length for many years now, Arsenal have rarely managed their player’s contracts well. There are the obvious examples of Aaron Ramsey, Alexis Sanchez, Robin van Persie, Mesut Ozil, key players who were allowed to run down their deals, such that they either left for cheap, or nothing in the case of Ramsey, or negotiated an extortionate new deal to remain at the club. But even beyond the big names, the Gunners have repeatedly exercised contract suicide.

Players like Serge Gnabry, Wojciech Szczesny and Xavier Amaechi were all able to force an exit from the club because they had a year or less to run on their current deals. The club was hesitant to offer out contract extensions, dallied as they attempted to delay their progression into the first team, and were eventually forced to sell because of their mismanagement. But as Vinai Venkatesham and Raul Sanllehi confirmed last year, the way contracts are dealt with is set to change.

The latest result is Joe Willock. The central midfielder, who only just turned 20 and started the first three Premier League matches of the campaign, signed a new, four-year deal, keeping him at the club until the end of the 2022/23 season. It is a reward for his recent performances and ensures that his future remains in north London and his value is high.

There will be very little criticism for this move. Fans are quite aware of Willock’s potential, even if some are higher on his capabilities than others, and keeping an academy product in-house for what is likely a cheaper wage than dipping into transfer market makes absolute sense. In fact, it is the obvious thing to do.

But in the past, Arsenal have so often neglected the obvious. They have been so keen to outsmart their rivals that they end up falling into the trap that they set for themselves. This time, they are acting as any smart, but sensibly smart, team would: they are locking down their talent.

Willock could well be the future of the central midfield. If he is, Arsenal have secured it. But even if Willock does not become the player many hope he will, his value has been protected. The long-term contract was the obvious move, and it was also the right one.