Arsenal set for Joe Willock bid from Newcastle

Arsenal will have their resolve tested by Newcastle as Steve Bruce’s side prepare to bid for Joe Willock in the summer transfer window.

Infamously bad at loaning players, Arsenal struck gold with Joe Willock whose time in the north east has been nothing short of sensational. The midfielder has played a key role in rescuing Newcastle’s season, with his performances steering them well clear of the bottom three.

That is largely in part to his outstanding scoring run. Having netted against Southampton early on in his time at St James’ Park, Willock is now on a remarkable run of six goals in consecutive matches, smashing a Premier League record en route and stamping his name in the history books by being the youngest ever player in the competition to achieve that feat.

Steve Bruce, despite insisting he has to respect Arsenal and the player, has been working around the clock to ensure every other thing that comes out of his mouth is either ‘Willock’ or ‘I want to keep him’. His intentions are clear and you can’t blame him.

Arsenal set for Joe Willock bid from Newcastle in summer transfer window with midfielder keen on switch

Arsenal find themselves caught between two chairs. Their midfield is hopelessly lacking in goals, whether it’s Mohamed Elneny’s reverse tunnel vision or Thomas Partey’s bet on getting one out of the ground, there is no sign of aid from that department.

Willock has always been known for his late surges into the box and killer instinct in front of goal, but he would also fetch a very handsome fee. Initially seeking around £20m, The Telegraph add to other reports that the Gunners will raise this figure higher given his magnificent form.

Whatever the price, the report unsurprisingly states that Newcastle are set to make a bid and firmly believe they have the player’s backing in doing so.

Arsenal are also willing to do business as they seek to fund a move for Martin Odegaard, which remains a priority for Mikel Arteta even with heavy speculation that Emi Buendia is now top of the wishlist, and that cash injection could do wonders for their measly budget.

However, Newcastle are hardly swimming in cash. Their budget has been classed as ‘non-existent’.

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