Derby County, Queens Park Rangers and Bournemouth have been handed a boost, with Chris Willock hoping to secure a return to English football from Portuguese giants Benfica, according to West London Sport.
When the older brother of Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock completed a shock move to the Estadio da Luz in the summer of 2017, he might have been hoping to add a touch of Iberian flair to the ‘natural talent’ that had Arsene Wenger once tipping the youngster for a bright future in North London.
But even in an era when fresh-faced English youngsters are starting to make a name for themselves away from the bright lights of the Premier League, inspired by Jadon Sancho’s remarkable success at Borussia Dortmund, it just hasn’t worked out for Willock.
The 22-year-old has failed to make a single appearance in the Portuguese top flight during three years in the capital.
After enjoying loan spells at West Brom and Huddersfield Town in 2019/20, WLS reports that Willock is ready to cut his losses and return to his homeland on a full-time basis.
QPR were reported to have agreed an initial £750,000 fee on Thursday via the Mail but, according to reports from London, Rangers still have work to do.
Former employers Huddersfield are battling Derby and a Bournemouth side who could still lose David Brooks to Sheffield United are also interested (Mail).
Interestingly, QPR boss Mark Warburton admitted that the club are ‘very close‘ to potentially securing three new signings. Could one of those be Willock?
Macauley Bonne completed a protracted move from Charlton Athletic on Friday morning.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
