Does Joe Willock have an Arsenal future under Mikel Arteta?

By Ben Browning


Published: May 10, 2021 3:58 pm

Last Updated: May 10, 2021 4:08 pm

Bruce wants Willock permanently

Willock has been instrumental in Newcastle’s survival fight, firing in five goals in his eighteen appearances for the North-East side to propel Steve Bruce’s team to fourteenth place, twelve points clear of the relegation zone.

This has led to the openness of Bruce regarding the want to keep Willock on a permanent deal.

“All of us would love to [make it permanent]. [Joe] Willock, 21, a midfield player and he’s got five goals since the turn of the year, so of course we want him – but we have to respect that he’s Arsenal’s player,” Bruce said.

This summer feels like something of a crossroads for Willock’s Arsenal career. Making 29 appearances for the Gunners in the 2019/29 campaign, he was often used as a substitute, racking up just 840 minutes across those appearances. Loaned out to Newcastle for the second half of this season, Willock has demonstrated his quality that he failed to show against better opposition. Still only 21 years old, his market value (£14.4 Million) feels key to a club looking for finances to rebuild.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 17: Joe Willock of Arsenal celebrates his teams first goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Chloe Knott – Danehouse/Getty Images)

A free 8?

After a 1-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in December 2020, Mikel Arteta revealed that:

“We want to move to a 4-3-3 but for that, you need a lot of specificity in every position but now in five or six positions, we don’t have it”

“Could Willock fill one of those positions in the future?”

Certainly, he has looked promising in the Europa League games which he has featured in, whilst he has a knack for being in the right position at the right times in the opposition box.

Arsenal’s Joe Willock celebrates scoring his side’s second goal of the game during the UEFA Europa League Group B match at the Emirates Stadium, London. (Photo by Adam Davy/PA Images via Getty Images)

However, the quality of the opposition in the Europa League must be taken into account; Dundalk, Molde and SK Rapid Wien are hardly Premier League opposition, and Willock has struggled to nail down a position in Arteta’s side for higher profile fixtures.

In those that he has found himself in the squad for, Willock has failed to make any significant positive impression, largely in keeping with the majority of Arsenal’s squad. Unlike Bukayo Saka or Emile Smith Rowe, his fellow academy graduates, Willock does not visibly make Arsenal a much better side, not least in part because he has no real position in the 4-2-3-1 Arteta has utilised to date.

Going forward, however, his athleticism, goalscoring touch and all-round game could lend itself well to filling one of the no.8 roles in midfield that Arteta is looking for.

Will his value get any higher?

The counterargument, of course, is to sell Willock whilst he finds himself in-form.

Arsenal appear to have missed this opportunity too often in the past, most recently with another academy graduate Ainsley Maitland-Niles, whose stock will likely never be as high as it was last summer

Wolves made formal offer (below £20m) for Ainsley Maitland-Niles yesterday. Rejected by Arsenal as they seek higher fee for versatile 22yo. Among other interested clubs, 2 in Germany understood to be preparing bids. Background for @TheAthleticUK #WWFC #AFC https://t.co/CxhbX2McWn

— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) August 26, 2020

Maitland-Niles has since fallen out of the England squad and been relegated with West Bromwich Albion, whilst it looks as though his Arsenal career is over.

Speaking to Goal, Arteta hinted at his summer plans when he said that:

“I think a project has its phases and I am telling you we are in a much better position today to be where we want to be very soon, if we do what we have to do. But we have to be ruthless.”

Deals such as the sales of Joe Willock and Ainsley Maitland Niles may just be a part of the ruthlessness that Arteta is aiming for. Of course, selling an academy graduate will always rankle with fans, but in this scenario, it may be a case of accepting some short-term pain to reinvest the money, ultimately, into long-term gain.

Read more:

Arsenal’s Joe Willock tipped to make Newcastle stay permanent

Why Arsenal should sell Joe Willock to Newcastle

This article was edited by
Tom Canton.

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Premier League table

#	Team	MP	D	P
1	Manchester City FC	35	46	80
2	Manchester United FC	34	31	70
3	Chelsea FC	35	23	64
4	Leicester City FC	35	20	63
5	West Ham United FC	34	11	58
6	Liverpool FC	34	18	57
7	Tottenham Hotspur FC	35	20	56
8	Everton FC	33	3	52
9	Leeds United	35	0	50
10	Arsenal FC	34	9	49
11	Aston Villa FC	34	8	48
12	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	35	-12	45
13	Crystal Palace FC	34	-20	41
14	Newcastle United FC	35	-18	39
15	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	35	-5	37
16	Southampton FC	34	-20	37
17	Burnley FC	34	-16	36
18	Fulham FC	34	-20	27
19	West Bromwich Albion	34	-34	26
20	Sheffield United FC	35	-44	17

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Player	Team	Goals
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur FC	21
Salah, Mohamed	Liverpool FC	20
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United FC	17
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur FC	17
Calvert-Lewin, Dominic	Everton FC	16
Bamford, Patrick	Leeds United	15
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester City FC	13
Watkins, Ollie	Aston Villa FC	13
Lacazette, Alexandre	Arsenal FC	13
Wilson, Callum	Newcastle United FC	12
Gundogan, Ilkay	Manchester City FC	12
Wood, Chris	Burnley FC	11
Iheanacho, Kelechi	Leicester City FC	11
Rashford, Marcus	Manchester United FC	10
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester City FC	10
Pereira, Matheus	West Bromwich Albion	10
Ings, Danny	Southampton FC	10
Aubameyang, Pierre-Emerick	Arsenal FC	10
Zaha, Wilfried	Crystal Palace FC	10
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	9

Player	Team	Red Cards	Yellow Cards
Maguire, Harry	Manchester United FC	0	11
Gallagher, Conor	West Bromwich Albion	0	10
Milivojevic, Luka	Crystal Palace FC	1	8
Lundstram, John	Sheffield United FC	1	8
Luiz, Douglas	Aston Villa FC	0	8
Soucek, Tomas	West Ham United FC	1	7
McGinn, John	Aston Villa FC	0	8
Hojbjerg, Pierre	Tottenham Hotspur FC	0	8
Xhaka, Granit	Arsenal FC	1	7
Bellerin, Hector	Arsenal FC	0	8
Egan, John	Sheffield United FC	1	7
Holgate, Mason	Everton FC	0	8
Bissouma, Yves	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	1	7
Hayden, Isaac	Newcastle United FC	0	8
McGoldrick, David	Sheffield United FC	0	7
Shaw, Luke	Manchester United FC	0	7
Neves, Ruben	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	0	7
Dunk, Lewis	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	2	5
Reid, Bobby	Fulham FC	0	7
Evans, Jonny	Leicester City FC	0	7

Player	Team	Assists
Kane, Harry	Tottenham Hotspur FC	13
Fernandes, Bruno	Manchester United FC	11
Son, Heung Min	Tottenham Hotspur FC	10
Grealish, Jack	Aston Villa FC	10
De Bruyne, Kevin	Manchester City FC	10
Rashford, Marcus	Manchester United FC	9
Vardy, Jamie	Leicester City FC	8
Werner, Timo	Chelsea FC	8
Raphinha	Leeds United	7
Gross, Pascal	Brighton & Hove Albion FC	7
Cresswell, Aaron	West Ham United FC	7
Digne, Lucas	Everton FC	7
Bamford, Patrick	Leeds United	6
Sterling, Raheem	Manchester City FC	6
Pereira, Matheus	West Bromwich Albion	6
Mane, Sadio	Liverpool FC	6
Ward-Prowse, James	Southampton FC	6
Harrison, Jack	Leeds United	6
Firmino, Roberto	Liverpool FC	6
Neto, Pedro	Wolverhampton Wanderers FC	6