Newcastle on verge of landing exciting Arsenal midfielder

Joe Willock TEAMtalk

Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock is set to join Newcastle on loan for the rest of the season.

Newcastle boss Steve Bruce is looking to add some mobility to his midfield and both Sky Sports and the BBC, among others, report that 21-year-old Willock is heading north.

Willock has struggled for Premier League game time this season, with the majority of his appearances coming in the Europa League.

Newcastle will be able to offer him regular first-team football, which would have been scarce at The Emirates dues to the emergence of Emile Smith-Rowe and the arrival of  Martin Odegaard.

Mikel Arteta was asked about outgoings at his news conference on Monday.

“We are discussing things with some players and some clubs, and if we do anything before the deadline, it is because we believe it is the right thing for their development,” said the Arsenal boss.

Newcastle have also been linked with a loan move for Leicester’s Hamza Choudhury. It’s unclear whether a move for Willock will see Newcastle shelve their interest in Choudhury.

There could be some outgoings at Newcastle as well, although Sky report that they have rejected Bournemouth’s bid to take Matt Ritchie back.

 

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Bruce said: “That’s up in the air. Matt’s been a very, very good servant to the club here and very, very well thought of, so we’ll see, we’ll see again later on in the day with that one.

Yedlin heading to Turkey

“Matt’s found himself a bit frustrated with not playing and not being a regular in the team, and I understand that totally. But he has to understand that if it doesn’t happen, then he gets his head down and works his way to the end of the season.”

However, Bruce confirmed United States international defender DeAndre Yedlin is close to completing a deadline day move to Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Bruce said: “Quite simply we’ve had three right-backs at the club now and I think DeAndre is suited to playing as a wing-back. It’s been no secret that we’ve tried to change to a back four for a little bit of a while now, so to have three right-backs…

“I’d like to wish DeAndre the very best of luck in Turkey. He’s certainly playing for a huge club in Galatasaray, so I wish him the best of luck.

“He’s a great pro and a great lad, and sometimes you have to make decisions to let one out.”

READ MORE: Hargreaves says Willock deserves to play and will have to leave Gunners