Arsenal: Take £22m for Joe Willock and run with it

New reports claim Newcastle are willing to meet the £22m valuation Arsenal have for Joe Willock and with several fringe players still on the books, the offer could play a key role in signing the Gunners summer targets.

It is no secret that Willock has some serious potential. The Hale End graduate has never really reached the heights in his Arsenal career, however that all changed when Steve Bruce signed the youngster on loan in January last year.

To say that Willock impressed on Tyneside would be a gigantic understatement. Breaking the Premier League record to become the youngest player to score in seven consecutive matches is simply sensational.

They weren’t easy opposition either: West Ham, Leicester City, Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester City all saw the midfielder score and conquer.

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Arsenal must take £22m+ for Joe Willock and run with it as Mikel Arteta needs funds to sign key transfers this summer window

One thing that did get overlooked is the love the Toon Army developed for Willock, pleading for him to stay in their first chance to see him in the flesh. That demonstrates the level of impact he had in the brief time in a Newcastle shirt. So on his part, at least in the perspective of a welcoming environment, this deal would be great for him.

So, will Arsenal cash in? At £25m as reported in some sectors, or even slightly lower, they would be foolish not to. Given the state of the club’s finances and the need to strengthen the squad to improve on consecutive eighth-place finishes, the offer is simply too good to turn down.

That price tag, for a player who essentially has only played a good stretch of Premier League football lasting 14 games, is a no-brainer. While many fans love Willock, and the fact that he is another product of our famous Hale End Academy making this all the trickier to digest, it’s an excellent deal.

We have seen other graduates in Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe burst onto the scene and become important players for Mikel Arteta. Yet for Willock, in the league at least, he has never shown that he can nail down a spot in the side.

What also might make Arsenal seriously consider the offer is that there is no European football this season. There is no Europa League for Willock to get minutes and aside from the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup, his opportunities would be rather limited. He isn’t set for more than the occasional super-sub outing.

Essentially, this kind of offer has come at the perfect time for Arsenal. Money is needed to chase targets like James Maddison and whoever comes in as backup goalkeeper. £20m+ would go some way to averting this window from its current trajectory of a deadline day scramble.

Arsenal need the lift that a key signing would make, for the club and the fans. Maddison may well feel Mesut Ozil-esque should he arrive.

Some will not like Willock being moved on should Arsenal accept Newcastle’s offer but the bottom line is this kind of offer might not be there in 12 months. It is a substantial amount for a Premier League player who has yet to find consistent form in a top team (or Arsenal, for that matter).

Should Willock’s departure be the catalyst for improvements elsewhere then it’s a fair trade-off. While it is not the outgoing that many expected, given how fiercely difficult this window is to navigate around major sales can’t be resisted even if they constitute a risk in terms of who else can come in to add such qualities to the squad.

Sorry Joe, it’s nothing personal, but this deal is simply too good to pass up.