Former Newcastle United star Lee Clark would love to see Joe Willock return from Arsenal this summer.
The 21-year-old midfielder had a stunning half-season loan at St James’s Park last season, scoring eight goals in 11 Premier League starts for the Magpies.
His form under Steve Bruce is suggestive that Arsenal have quite an exciting young midfielder and have slapped a £20 million price-tag on his head.
Newcastle will naturally want him back on loan [The Athletic], but the 48-year-old manager, who had two separate spells on Tyneside as a player, believes that the Gunners won’t be loaning out the player anytime soon, warning that a ‘hefty fee’ awaits.
He told Tribal Football: “Willock was an outstanding addition last season. Most Newcastle fans will have their fingers crossed, praying that the deal could become permanent.
“For a midfield player to score seven goals in his last seven leagues was remarkable. It would be great for a striker to get that return but for an attacking midfielder it was unbelievable, and by all accounts he’s a terrific lad around the place.
“I wouldn’t have thought Arsenal would loan him out again after what he did last season. If they were going to let him go, which I would think would be a strange decision anyway, but if they were, they would be looking for a hefty transfer fee wherever he went.”
Another Martinez
Just to put into context of Willock’s form for United, Arsenal hitman Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored 10 goals in 26 Premier League starts.
With Willock netting eight in 11 starts, this is not a player who Arsenal can really afford to let go of without giving him a chance.
Remember, this time last year the North Londoners were gearing up to sell Emiliano Martinez in a £20 million deal to Aston Villa.
It was a decent transfer fee but in hindsight, Mikel Arteta would’ve been better off with the player, not the money.
You would hope that Arsenal aren’t about to repeat history for the wrong reasons.
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