Speaking recently on the Football Writers Podcast, John Cross warned Arsenal about the potential sale of Joe Willock.
An academy product of Arsenal, Willock made his debut for the first team as an 18-year-old back in 2017, and has gone on to feature 70 times for the club, scoring 10 goals and providing four assists along the way.
So far this season, the £14.4 million-rated 21-year-old has featured nine times in all competitions for Mikel Arteta’s side, scoring two goals and providing three assists along the way, while averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.54/10 over his four appearances in the Europa League and an average of 6.55 over his two appearances in the Premier League.
And speaking on a recent episode of the Football Writers Podcast, John Cross urged Arsenal not to consider selling the young midfielder, as the decision could come back to haunt them.
He said: “I think if Willock goes elsewhere, he’ll come back and he’ll haunt Arsenal. He’s got that talent, you’ve just got to nurture it and he’s such an exciting player.
“The reality is that if he’s not given the chance – and I think they might panic in this dangerous time and not give him the chance, and it will be a terrible mistake. With the right club and the right talent and the right coaching around him, he can be a star.”
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TIF Thoughts on John Cross’ comments regarding Joe Willock…
From Cross’ comments, it is clear that the journalist is of the belief that Willock has a great amount of potential, and that Arsenal should not lose faith in the midfielder, as should they decide to move him on, the club could end up ruing the decision.
An example of this happening previously could be when the club sold Serge Gnabry to Werder Bremen for a £4.5 million fee back in 2016, before the player joined Bayern Munich just a year later in a £7.2 million deal, where he has since played 102 times for the club, scoring 40 goals and providing 24 assists along the way, as well as boasting a market value of £81 million.