Arsenal have made some signings this summer but in truth, their dubbed ‘squad overhaul’ has been underwhelming to date.
Much of that has been down to the clubs inability to shift players out of the door. The lack of movement outwards has restricted what the club can do in terms of incomings, with boss Mikel Arteta keen to avoid the bloated squad situation he found himself with last season.
Now, according to The Telegraph, Arsenal are set to confirm a departure. Joe Willock is set to become the clubs first significant sale of the summer in a deal worth around £22million to Newcastle.
There have been strong links between Willock and Newcastle all summer, but it finally feels as if this deal is on the verge of completion with The Telegraph reporting that only final details need to be sorted before this deal is confirmed.
Arsenal will now hope they can press on with incomings, though there are still plenty of players the club will be looking to move on.
Willock’s pending departure has divided opinion in the Arsenal fanbase.
For me, his limitations are in his possession skills. Statistically, despite good performances overall, Joe ranks very low amongst his peers on the ball. As current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta is striving to become a team that dominates possession, is Willock the right fit?
It was always a case of if Arsenal would get a bid worth selling the player for. At £22million, potentially rising to £25million and with some kind of sell-on clause, it seems a good deal for all parties.