Newcastle United has agreed to pay £22million for Arsenal’s Joe Willock.
The England player who impressed when he was on loan the St. James’ Park in the 2020/2021 season has been tipped to make a permanent switch to Tyneside.
Willock, 21, returned to Arsenal for pre-season, but he is now set to end his long association with the Gunners.
According to several reports, Newcastle is yet to agree on personal terms with Willock who is keen on joining the Magpies on a permanent deal.
Joe Willock was left out in Mikel Arteta’s team to face Tottenham Hotspur in the club’s final pre-season game as the deal urges closer.
After the game Arsenal manager, Mikel Arteta was asked about Willock’s omission and said: ‘We will explain the reasons when we can.’
Willock is set to become Newcastle’s first major signing of the summer as Steve Bruce closes in on a deal that he has been pursuing for some time.
A product of Arsenal’s academy who joined at the age of four, Willock has made 78 appearances for the Gunners, scoring eleven goals.
The 21-year-old isn’t guaranteed regular game time at Arsenal and will relish the chance to feature prominently for Newcastle if the deal goes ahead.