According to The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Arsenal could sanction a permanent move to Newcastle for Joe Willock should we come in with a bid in the region of ‘£20-£25m’.
Speaking on the Ornstein & Chapman Podcast this week, The Athletic’s insider at Arsenal insisted that there’d be ‘no chance’ of us getting the deal done if Mike Ashley refused to pay more than ‘£10-£15m’ – but it’s his understanding that the Gunners WILL get around the table to discuss his sale should we be willing to pay £20m plus.
Arteta’s defiant comments last week – which were described as him playing the transfer game by some – and Joe Willock’s worrying ‘goodbye’ message to fans on Monday left many feeling he was gone for good and set to stay in North London next season, however these latest claims from The Athletic – one of the most reliable sources out there – suggest we still have every chance of getting this deal done.
In the same podcast, he also states that Arsenal will pursue a £40m deal for Norwich star Emi Buendia if they fail to turn Martin Odegaard’s loan move from Real Madrid into a permanent one – so they could well cash in on Willock while his stock is high in order to fund much needed signings elsewhere, especially when they’ll be hit financially after failing to qualify for Europe for the first time in 25 years.
Here’s what Ornstein had to say:
“As I understand it, if an offer was to come in for him [Joe Willock] this summer of £10m, £15m, for example, no chance.
“Arsenal wouldn’t even consider it.
“But if it comes in for £20m, £25m, there may be a conversation to have.”
Who knows what Arteta is really thinking and whether or not Willock will push for a return to NUFC or give it one last go at Arsenal, but these latest murmurings from The Athletic’s chief reporter at the Emirates suggest they are anything but set on keeping the 21-year-old this summer.
They’ll play hard to get, push for the best fee possible and hope to create a bidding war – meaning he’s unlikely to be sold early in the window – yet it still sounds like they’ll let him go if Bruce can convince Mike Ashley to submit a £20m plus bid.
You can never second guess the enigma that is Mike Ashley, but surely he could justify a £20m move for Willock when he was happy to spend DOUBLE on Joelinton less than two years ago – especially when Joe junior has scored more Premier League goals in four months than the Brazilian has in two whole seasons!
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