Newcastle United will not be cashing in on Joe Willock cheaply despite the transfer interest in the midfielder.
Willock has been involved in the Newcastle United first team this season to perhaps quite a surprising degree.
The midfielder looked set to drop down the pecking order under Eddie Howe following the summer arrival of Jacob Ramsey but has so far amassed 14 appearances across all competitions.
Though an injury Ramsey sustained in August played a part in that, the former Arsenal star is getting more minutes than many may have expected.
How much money would a club need to bid for you to consider selling Joe Willock in January?
Still, he is out of contract in the summer of 2027, and Willock has been linked with the likes of Leeds and Crystal Palace.
Nottingham Forest and Fulham have also been tipped as potential landing spots and reports have previously suggested that Newcastle are open to selling Willock.
However, even despite his dwindling contract, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be sold on the cheap.
Newcastle United set Joe Willock transfer demand
On Friday, Craig Hope of The Daily Mail addressed some potential outgoings at Newcastle during the January transfer window.
Willock may seem like a logical sale. A club can only cash in when there is a buyer and it seems plenty of monied Premier League clubs have some level of interest in the player.
The fact that he’s out of contract next summer could also be significant.
Willock would appear to be unlikely to be offered a new deal, so there’s only a limited time left to sell him for anything approaching maximum value.
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Still, speaking in a video posted on YouTube, Hope revealed that the likes of Leeds and Palace would need to make a “proper offer”.
“Joe Willock will only go out if a viable, realistic offer, fair offer comes in,” he said.
“Newcastle aren’t going to sell a player who is contributing at first team level at the minute, albeit more so from the bench, if a Crystal Palace or Leeds – whoever it may be – thinks they can come in and steal him for what? £5-10million?
“It would take a proper offer for Willock to move this month.”
How many games Joe Willock has directly won for Newcastle United
Howe believes Willock’s contribution at Newcastle has been forgotten by those outside the club, largely due to his injuries.
Speaking back in October, Howe said: ”We forget Joe Willock’s qualities. He’s been an outstanding player for us, historically. We’re just trying to get Joe back to his very best form.
“All those players will bring their own unique qualities in that position.”
Interestingly, the only three players in the Newcastle United squad who have scored more game-winning goals than Willock (6) for the club are Fabian Schar (7), Bruno Guimaraes (8) and Joelinton (10).
Historically, Willock has been one of the most decisive players in the squad.
Obviously, that does not mean he gets a free pass forever, but it is something to consider.
There is some logic in selling Willock in January, given his contractual status.
However, he’s surely done enough over the years to suggest that keeping him might not be so bad either.
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