Newcastle United’s ridiculous summer of change may not be finished yet, with Matthias Jaissle still assessing a squad that has already lost several established players and could see some more go before the September 1 deadline.
One player whose future has remained unresolved throughout the window is midfielder Joe Willock. Newcastle and Besiktas have held discussions for weeks, with the Turkish club previously seeing a £10 million offer rejected and the Magpies seeking closer to £17 million (€20 million)
for the midfielder in a deal now close to being agreed.
On Friday, in a development that could mark the start of the end to this saga, Foot Mercato’s Sebastien Vidal reported that Willock is open to joining Besiktas. Vidal added that negotiations between the clubs are ongoing and confirmed that an offer in the £17 million ballpark could be enough to unlock the final transfer.
“Joe Willock is open to leaving Newcastle to join Besiktas,” Vidal reported. “The Turkish club is making him their priority in midfield, and a proposal close to €20M could help unlock the negotiations.”
Vidal added that the 26-year-old is “favorable to the transfer,” removing the biggest potential obstacle for his sale as long as Newcastle and Besiktas can settle on the final terms.
That shouldn’t be a problem considering the nonsensical summer transfer window developing across Turkish soccer. While not entirely lavish judging by the transfer fees, the moves happening around the nation have caught everybody’s attention.
Besiktas landed Dusan Vlahovic for free after spending heavily to sign Orkun Kokcu from Benfica and Leandro Trossard from Arsenal, while rivals Fenerbahce have added Mason Greenwood, Sidiki Cherif, Romelu Lukaku and Nathan Ake. Trabzonspor, meanwhile, decided it was time to grab some headlines and completed the most eye-catching acquisitions by landing both Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nuñez.
Besiktas making Willock its midfield priority suggests the club’s spending is not finished, and Newcastle’s valuation appears increasingly achievable if Vidal’s £17 million reported figure proves decisive. Willock is entering the final year under contract at Newcastle, meaning the Magpies would do well to sell him for that fee or a slightly lower one instead of risking watching his value fall or simply go for nothing next summer.
Would you accept a fee lower than £17 million for Willock despite Newcastle missing on the targeted figure, or rather keep him for the final year of his contract if only to have some extra midfield depth? Share your thoughts below.
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