Joe Willock facing Newcastle fight and four summer exits on the cards - Report
An update has emerged on the futures of Joe Willock and Kieran Trippier, while three other Mags are expected to depart this summer.
Sandro Tonali’s ban coming to an end has seen Willock fall out of Eddie Howe's starting 11 and it may be an important end to the season for the 25-year-old to prove his worth, even if depth will be required ahead of a return to Europe next term.
Talk of Trippier departing has been bandied about over the last year. Turkish giants Galatasaray pushed to sign the veteran defender earlier this year, while the right-back angled for a move late in the summer window of 2024.
Willock's future and Trippier's long goodbye?
Eddie Howe 'could finally allow' Kieran Trippier to leave this summer and Joe Willock is now 'playing for his future', according to The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards.
Trippier joined for £12million in January 2022 and was a key man as we secured Champions League football the following campaign. However, prior to Lewis Hall's injury and Tino Livramento's switch to the left, he has struggled for starts this season.
A €3million plus add-ons fee from Galatasaray was rejected in February with our progression to the Carabao Cup final considered a factor for Tripps not pushing for a move away; and that was vindicated as he lifted the cup 10 days ago.
There is no guarantee that Willock will leave this summer, however, the midfielder has struggled with both form and fitness this season.
Not only does the former Arsenal man no longer get into our best 11, Lewis Miley continues to go from strength-to-strength and will be pushing on for more first team minutes.
Approaching what should be the peak years of his career, Willock will be keen to push for first team football either here or elsewhere, but there is no indication yet the club will listen to offers, with his end to the season likely to have a bearing on that.
Trophy the perfect end for exit-bound Mags?
Notes to end on don’t come much higher than ending a 70-year domestic trophy drought at Wembley and two of the first three to lift the trophy alongside Bruno Guimaraes, being Trippier and Jamal Lascelles, are amongst a set of experienced Mags who may have the perfect ending.
Plenty within the group are coming towards their closing days cladding the black-and-white stripes and deserved to etch their names into the club’s history books for their contributions to the club.
Lascelles is out of contract in the summer, as is Callum Wilson, and both have been instrumental in their own ways to getting the club to where they it is today. Sean Longstaff may be sold this summer after falling out of favour, and if he does depart it won’t be without winning a trophy with his boyhood club.
All of this makes the win at Wembley all the more pleasing, as important members of squad over the years have enjoyed the big moment they deserved before likely exits this summer.e
