Newcastle United’s midfield transformation is continuing in both directions, with Nico Gonzalez arriving from Manchester City and Joe Willock moving increasingly closer to leaving St. James’ Park before the Sept. 1 deadline.
Besiktas has pursued Willock throughout the summer and recently formalized its interest with an offer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The first official bid was confirmed over the weekend, with the Turkish club submitting an offer after identifying the 27-year-old as its leading
midfield target.
“Besiktas have submitted a bid to Newcastle for Joe Willock as top target in midfield,” Romano reported. “Decision up to Newcastle.”
There is now greater clarity over the negotiations, as Turkish outlet Fanatik has reported that Newcastle has already reduced its asking price from €23 million (£20 million) to €20 million (£17 million). That said, Besiktas is pushing for another significant discount before completing the transfer.
“The Black and Whites want to finalize the deal for a maximum of €15 million, including bonuses,” Fanatik reported.
According to the Turkish outlet, Besiktas is refusing to go beyond an offer worth €15 million (£13 million), including bonuses, leaving the teams approximately €5 million (£4.3 million) apart with a week to go in the transfer window.
Willock himself appears to be doing his part to bridge that remaining gap. Fanatik reported that the midfielder has given Besiktas a preliminary “yes” and has asked Newcastle to lower its demands to facilitate his departure.
“It has been learned that the 27-year-old footballer has given a ‘yes’ in principle to Beşiktaş and has requested a discount on his transfer fee from his current club,” Fanatik reported.
If completed, the transfer would end Willock’s five-and-a-half-year stay on Tyneside after Newcastle initially signed him on loan from Arsenal in January 2021 before making the move permanent that summer. The midfielder is entering the final year of his contract, giving Newcastle additional incentive to cash in now rather than risk losing him for nothing next summer.
Is selling Willock the right move after landing Nico Gonzalez? Would you accept €15 million including bonuses for Willock, or should Newcastle hold firm at €20 million? Let us know in the comments section below.
Join the conversation!
Sign up for a user account at Coming Home Newcastle and get:
- Create community posts on The Feed for everyone to read
- Comment on all articles and community posts
- Rec comments and community posts
- Enjoy a new, improved notifications system
- Fewer ads
