Newcastle United has already lost significant experience from its midfield this summer, but another departure remains firmly on the table as Matthias Jaissle continues reshaping the squad before the Sept. 1 deadline.
Joe Willock has been linked with an exit throughout the window, with Besiktas emerging as the leading candidate to sign him. The Turkish club recently offered a €7 million (£6 million) fee plus another €5 million (£4.3 million) inl add-ons, while Newcastle was reportedly demanding around
€20 million (£17 million).
That gap threatened to stall negotiations, but Football Insider’s Mick Brown and Callum O’Connell now report that Newcastle is prepared to lower its valuation significantly to ensure Willock leaves.
Brown said Newcastle has expected the midfielder to depart and believes its previous asking price simply will not attract a buyer.
“The asking price that’s been mentioned so far is way too high, though, they’re never going to sell him at that price,” Brown told Football Insider.
“So now, coming up to the end of the window, they’re going to have to drop that asking price and maybe accept a cut-price offer if they do want to move him on.”
According to the report, Jaissle does not consider Willock part of his plans for the coming season, with Newcastle consequently prioritizing generating some money from his departure rather than holding firm to its previous valuation.
“Newcastle are ready to let him go, he’s not going to play a part in their plans, but they might have to bite the bullet and accept a lower offer than what they originally hoped,” Brown said.
Willock’s recent groin issue, suffered during the preseason draw against Strasbourg, has not altered Newcastle’s intention to find a buyer.
Besiktas remains the apparent frontrunner after pursuing Willock throughout the summer, although Crystal Palace, West Ham and Leeds have also previously been credited with interest. Football Insider reports that the latter’s interest has since faded.
Newcastle’s willingness to compromise could now reopen the door for Besiktas despite its lowball proposal. The report does not specify exactly how far Newcastle is prepared to drop its demands, however, so there remains a substantial difference between the €12 million maximum package currently offered and the €20 million valuation previously reported.
With Willock entering the final year of his contract and apparently outside Jaissle’s plans, Newcastle now seemingly prefers accepting a financial hit this summer to risking receiving nothing for him next year.
How far below Newcastle’s original valuation would you be prepared to go to get the Willock deal done before the deadline?
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