Newcastle has agreed on a deal with Arsenal to sign Joe Willock to their club. The Club has agreed to pay a fee of over £22.00m for the player’s services. According to David Ornstein, the total fee structure is yet to be decided by the two parties for the sale. The 22-year-old English Central Midfielder had made 94 appearances for Arsenal.
Last season Joe Willock had gone on a loan to Newcastle during the winter transfer market. During his time there, he scored 8 goals in 14 starts with the club. He had a goal conversion rate of 35% while having 0.6 shots on target per 90. His passing accuracy was 77% but passed 0.5 key passes per 90 for his teammates. Due to his playing style as a box-to-box midfielder, his stats on the defensive side are immense as well. He made 1.0 interceptions, 1.5 tackles, and 1.2 successful dribbles per 90. He is currently valued by Transfermarkt at £14.40m.
Joe Willock is a part of the Arsenal Academy. He was selected to the under-23 squad in 2017. In 2019 he was promoted to the first team signing his professional contract. He was mostly a part of the Europa League and league cup squads during his time at the club. He is a number 8 kind of a midfielder who likes to run around the pitch. His main attribute being his ability to carry and dribble the ball and break the press.
Why Was Newcastle So Intent On Signing Joe Willock?
Last season before the winter transfer market, Newcastle was in the bottom 5 teams in the league. At the end of the season, they finished in the 12th position on the league table. This could be credited to Joe Willock’s work rate at Newcastle. He scored in 8 different matches helping the club push themselves away from the relegation zone. During the first half of the league, the club mainly got goals from Callum Wilson and Saint-Maximum. When Callum Wilson got injured, most of the goals were scored by Joe Willock.
For Joe Willock, this might be his time to shine and prove his value as a first-team player. Whether the play can reach its potential will be seen in the future. But right now Newcastle should be excited with the Former Arsenal Player signing for their club.
