Arsenal could strike Joe Willock swap with eye on £100m double transfer

If the opportunity arises for Arsenal to kill two birds with one stone this summer transfer window then they’re unlikely to turn it down, so long as it suits what they’re after. The future of Joe Willock remains in the balance and with the Gunners in need of a goalkeeper, there is a deal there to be struck with Newcastle.

As it stands, Willock will return to London Colney for pre-season training as usual. His sensational loan move to Newcastle has concluded and for all of Steve Bruce’s public declarations of love for the midfielder, unless the Magpies stump up Arsenal’s asking price he won’t be re-joining them.

There is some ambiguity over what exactly the Gunners are demanding for the Hale Ender, with fees between £20-£30m mentioned across various outlets. What does seem certain, however, is that if the valuation is met his sale will be sanctioned.

In the case of Mikel Arteta’s side they might have hoped for more interest following that mesmerising end to the season. While out of the public eye there is every chance inquiries have been made, as of yet only Newcastle are pushing for Willock’s signature.

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Arsenal could strike Joe Willock swap plus cash deal with Newcastle for Freddie Woodman with Arteta’s eye on £100m double swoop at Brighton

With not much wiggle room in the tightly sealed Mike Ashley purse strings, Bruce may have to get creative if he is to head into next season with Willock in black and white, opening the door for a swap deal to tempt Arsenal’s hand.

Bernd Leno’s future remains up in the air, Mat Ryan is attracting interest from clubs who can offer him a starting berth in net and the previously hot case on Andre Onana has since gone luke warm. Aside from that, Alex Runarsson isn’t pushing for a first team slot.

There is also highly rated Arthur Okonkwo who has been offered a new contract with his current one expiring this summer, but a young and homegrown goalkeeperpr to push for the number one spot in north London is among Arsenal’s extensive to-do list this summer.

Newcastle just so happen to have one on their books.

As per the most reliable journalist when it comes to Newcastle, Lee Ryder of The Chronicle, the Magpies could look to include Freddie Woodman as part of a swap plus cash deal to land Willock this summer.

Bruce already has two keepers vying for the number one slot, with third-choice Mark Gillespie joined by Dan Langley in pushing for a place in the side. Thus, there is no room for Woodman.

It’s an alluring prospect that would allow Arsenal to solve one issue while equally bringing in funding for a player who won’t be joining a direct rival. Furthermore, that money would go towards securing a double swoop worth up to £100m. It’s all happening, what should Arsenal do?

Continued…

Arsenal Should Explore Freddie Woodman & Joe Willock Swap

This is a deal that makes absolute sense if it’s at the right price. As mentioned by The Chronicle, Woodman is valued at £10m which means if Newcastle can throw in another £15-£20m on top of that then Arsenal shouldn’t really be thinking twice.

Woodman has been on the club’s radar for years now and if there was ever a time to bring him in then it’s this summer. Swansea failed to secure promotion to the Premier League and if successful would have almost certainly struck a permanent deal, while Newcastle’s strong contingent of keepers means there is no space for him.

Throw in the surprisingly active goalkeeper situation at Arsenal and the need for a homegrown option and Woodman’s name becomes smart business for someone who can develop into the long-term option.

It just has to be at the right price, though. Arsenal could be forced into a situation where Newcastle begin overvaluing Woodman and try to undercut the opposing value of Willock with something unappealingly low as the 24-year-old plus £5m.

The strongest murmurs are that the Gunners will be happy with £20m in total, a number that is too cheap, but also likely the most they will ever get at a point where the added income is essential. While it would be a real shame to see Willock leave, where he fits into the side isn’t obvious due to it requiring a system change as well as Arsenal pushing forward for midfield reinforcements.

Woodman is a solid goalkeeper, proactive in his movements and strong with his feet, profiling exactly as the club are after. He could perhaps be more commanding of his box but at 24 years of age his career has barely even began.

What is interesting about the report is the addition of another name, one not linked to Newcastle but Ryder confidently adds in: Tariq Lamptey.

The Brighton defender was someone Arsenal were strongly linked with, only for his nasty hamstring injury that required surgery in March to put the breaks on numerous clubs’ pursuits.

It does look like Arsenal are returning, however, for a double raid on the Seagulls worth up to £100m.

Continued…

Arsenal Eye £100m Raid for Ben White & Tariq Lamptey

The first thought for this centres around the fee in question, as with Ben White’s transfer set to put Arsenal back around £50m, surely Lamptey won’t be costing the same amount?

Back in March at the peak of interest, the fees in question were listed around the £30m mark. Now, having not played since December, it shouldn’t be that it’s risen by that much. It makes no sense whatsoever.

Looking at the transfer as a whole though, he is nearing a return from his lengthy lay-off and that has prompted interest from Tottenham of late (via Sky Sports) so it may well have been that clubs were easing off the case to see how his recovery had progressed.

Prior to his setback, Lamptey was one of the most exciting players to watch in the Premier League. Tuning into a Brighton game it was impossible not to be fixated on the boundless energy the 20-year-old exudes up and down the right flank.

Lamptey, usually lining up as the right wing-back in a 3-5-2 system, offers blistering speed and endless stamina that is a menace to play against. Boasting the agility to recover out of possession and a fearless attitude that sees him never shy away from a challenge (or worry about dishing one out), his style is infectious.

There is an undoubted rawness to his game that needs mellowing and smoothing out, but as a natural attacking right-back his skills are clear. Lamptey is at his best carrying and dribbling with the ball. He sits in the 97th percentile across Europe for dribbles completed per 90 and in the 97th percentile for carries into the penalty area.

He wins a bucket load of fouls with his tenacious style and quick feet, while his actions in and around in the box are always forward thinking. He is in the 99th percentile for shot-creating actions from being fouled and goal-creating actions from being fouled.

Of course, the sample size over the past year is small due to his injury, and highlighting his strengths casually glosses over the undeniable weaknesses he has in his defensive attributes.

Hugely talented and with so much scope to develop further, the major concern is over his injury and just how long it will take for him to recapture his best form and fitness. Arsenal will need a right-back who can hit the ground running in 2021/22 and the length of time Lamptey has been out is cause for concern.

If he’d have had the full season under his belt and shown signs of improvement in his own third then this would be a surefire signing. Lamptey looked like he had the lot going for him until that unfortunate setback. Now it’s wandered into territory that Arsenal might want to avoid if they want quick results.