Arsenal insider Charles Watts thinks that Joe Willock doesn’t have much of a future at the club and could be sold this summer if the right offer comes along.
The 21-year-old, valued at £14.4m by Transfermarkt, was sent out on loan to Newcastle United in January, and has already made an impact for Steve Bruce’s men, grabbing a late equaliser in their recent draw with Tottenham Hotspur as they battle to stay in the top flight.
A recent claim in The Sunday Mirror (via The Chronicle) suggested that the Gunners were open to selling him this summer, with a fee of around £20m reportedly being enough to lure him away from north London.
Speaking on the latest episode of his show, Watts felt that although he thinks he is a good player and that he is someone that Arsenal could do with, he might be more valuable to them by being sold rather than being held on to:
“If his performances continue to be good for Newcastle, then you think his value is going to be at a decent height by the time the end of the season comes around, and if someone offers, say £20m for Joe Willock, do you take that? I think most of you would probably say yes.
“He is a good player, Willock, I think he’s got a lot of potential, I think he offers a lot that Arsenal don’t actually have in their squad at the moment, but I still think he’s a little way off being Arsenal standard. If you want to get yourself back competing for the top four, competing for top honours, I’m just not sure a player like Joe Willock is ever going to hit the sort of level that you want him to.”
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TIF Thoughts on Charles Watts’ comments about Joe Willock’s future at Arsenal…
Watts’ comments make Willock seem like a player ‘for the future’, when really, given the decline they have been on in recent years, Arsenal need players that can help them now.
And if that means selling off players like Willock in order to bring in someone who can make an immediate impact on the side and help them get back into the top four and being a serious contender for trophies, then that’s a sacrifice they’re going to have to make.
Let’s just hope he doesn’t go on to shine at his next club then Arsenal are forced to fork out an extortionate fee for him like Manchester United did with Paul Pogba.
In other news: ‘Ditch the players’ – Pundit urges Arsenal to make ‘huge call’