According to Football.London, Arsenal have offered Joe Willock to Leicester City in their latest bid to sign James Maddison.
With the Gunners reluctant to pay the Foxes £60m asking price in full, Chief reporter Chris Wheatley has revealed our top target is one of four Arsenal players being used as bait in a potential player plus cash deal.
Those others include fellow fringe men Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Eddie Nketiah and Reiss Nelson, but the fact Willock is being offered out should be a reminder to him that he is not in Arteta’s plans at present and probably needs to move.
It seems Leicester prefer a cash-only deal at present, however this is yet another reminder that the 21-year-old’s future could yet be away from St James’ Park – even if he does leave North London this summer.
This also comes after The Telegraph revealed on Tuesday that we were prepared to match Arsenal’s £22m asking price for the midfielder, however it seems Willock himself is having second thoughts about leaving his boyhood club on a permanent deal.
How things pan out from here is anyone’s guess, but with Arsenal short on cash and clearly willing to offload Willock if it helps them land the likes of Maddison, perhaps they’ll give him the nudge he needs to re-sign on Tyneside.
If you had the choice of Brendan Rodgers and Leicester or Steve Bruce and Newcastle under Ashley, where would you choose if you clearly not wanted by Arsenal?
It’s a no brainier!
No surprise at all!
Joseph(Quote)
If I were Leicester I’d rip Arsenal’s hand off!!
If you value Willock around £20m – that’s £80m for Maddison … that’s way over priced!!
The only put off for them would be they already have players like Teilemans & Praet who play a similar role as Willock.
I’d take Nketia & £60m though – I think he’s going to be a good young forward & Vardy is getting on.
But if Leicester can get £80m for Maddison I’d take it – he’s not that good.
Sharpy17(Quote)
It’s not Willock + £60m.
Arsenal will be offering him because they don’t want to pay the £60m asking price on Maddison’s head, so any deal including Willock would probably see Leicester get him + £35-£40m.
Seems unlikely, mind. LCFC have loads of midfielders and have just signed Soumare.
Olly Hawkins(Quote)
If pillock can’t make his mind and now last not want him to go in a deal to Leicester up by now for what we had done for him las season up we are wasting time it’s going to come with Bruce has signed no one and he’s gonna blame it on Arsenal one man doesn’t make a team Bruce even though you don’t know what you’re doingHe was passionate to come here now was thinking twice for God sake sign someone
Ian(Quote)