Newcastle United face a defining January transfer window as Crystal Palace circle Joe Willock with a potential £21 million bid. Eddie Howe has set two firm conditions before any sale is considered: the club must recoup the full £21 million paid to Arsenal in 2021 and secure a direct replacement first. The 26-year-old midfielder, superb in the first half of the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Marseille on November 25 2025, has slipped to sixth in the midfield pecking order and has only 18 months remaining on his contract. He has been tipped at 8/1 by Lonestar Casino to leave the club in the summer. Meanwhile, Howe defended resting top scorer Nick Woltemade against Marseille, highlighting the brutal fixture list that sees nine games crammed into the final 33 days of 2025. This article examines Willock’s uncertain future, Howe’s non-negotiable demands, the striker rotation dilemma, and what it all means for Newcastle’s season.
Willock’s Sliding Doors Moment
Joe Willock arrived as a £21 million club-record signing from Arsenal in 2021 and quickly became a fans’ favourite with his explosive box-to-box runs. Yet the summer arrival of Jacob Ramsey for £40 million and the continued excellence of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimarães, Joelinton and Sean Longstaff have pushed him down the depth chart. His Marseille performance, where he started for only the fourth time this season, reminded everyone of his quality, but 412 minutes across all competitions tell their own story.
Crystal Palace have registered firm interest and received encouragement that a January move could be possible. Willock, a Londoner by birth, may be tempted by regular football under Oliver Glasner, especially with his contract entering its final year by the summer of 2026. Luke Edwards of The Telegraph reported on November 26 2025 that Newcastle will demand the full £21 million originally paid and will only sanction a sale if a like-for-like replacement is secured first.
Howe’s Two Red Lines
Eddie Howe has been clear: Newcastle are not looking to weaken the squad mid-season. The club will insist on recouping every penny of the £21 million investment in Willock and will not let him leave unless a suitable successor is already lined up. AZ Alkmaar’s highly rated 21-year-old Kees Smit has been mentioned as one potential target who fits the dynamic, progressive profile Howe covets.
Selling now would avoid the risk of losing Willock for nothing in 18 months while freeing wages and PSR headroom. Keeping him, however, preserves valuable depth during a punishing schedule. With nine matches before January, including Bayer Leverkusen and PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League, Howe cannot afford to lose numbers without immediate reinforcement.
Woltemade Rest Explained
Howe faced questions after starting Anthony Gordon as a false nine in Marseille and leaving Nick Woltemade on the bench. The decision drew a sharp response to one French journalist who asked why Newcastle played without a striker. “We had a striker on the pitch,” Howe replied, before explaining the need to protect his only fully fit senior centre-forward.
Woltemade has started 14 of the last 15 matches across all competitions and leads the club’s scoring charts with eight goals. With Yoane Wissa still injured and Will Osula managing minutes, Howe had no genuine alternative. “When he plays I want him fresh and able to give his very best,” Howe said. “He’s had a really intense period.” Gordon’s pace helped the press in the first half, but the lack of a focal point contributed to Newcastle’s inability to kill the game after Harvey Barnes’ opener.
Howe later told The Athletic’s Chris Waugh the thinking was twofold: protecting Woltemade’s workload and injecting Gordon’s direct running. The German did improve the team when introduced, yet the damage was already done after Nick Pope’s error and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s quick-fire double.
Fixture Congestion Forces Tough Calls
Nine games in 33 days to end 2025 have stretched Newcastle’s squad to its limits. Everton, Tottenham, Bayer Leverkusen, PSV Eindhoven and more arrive in quick succession, leaving Howe juggling rotation and results. Resting Woltemade was born of necessity rather than choice; the same logic will apply across the squad in the coming weeks.
January therefore becomes crucial. Another senior striker option, whether loan or permanent, looks essential if Woltemade is to avoid burnout. Similarly, any Willock sale must be offset immediately to maintain midfield depth for the second half of the campaign.
Verdict: Act Fast or Stand Pat
Newcastle hold all the cards with Willock. If Crystal Palace meet the £21 million valuation and a replacement such as Kees Smit can be secured, a deal makes financial and strategic sense. Letting a homegrown, high-wage player leave for nothing in 2026 would be poor business. If those two boxes cannot be ticked, Howe should keep Willock and challenge him to fight his way back into the starting eleven, as his Marseille display proved he is still capable of doing.
The next five weeks on the pitch and the decisions made in January will shape whether Newcastle finish 2025 as genuine European contenders or merely plucky outsiders. One thing is certain: Eddie Howe will not allow sentiment to override squad planning.
Can’t we just block these **** articles? Adverts and AI. They just cheapen the site.
PremAndUp(Quote)