With yet another goal during his loan spell with Newcastle United, Joe Willock is going from strength to strength ahead of a return to Arsenal this summer.
The England youth international struck in the fifth minute of injury to salvage a point for the Geordies away to Liverpool in a game Steve Bruce’s side looked destined to lose.
It took the youngster’s tally up to seven goals for the season in a campaign where the youngster has been deprived of any meaningful first-team football in north London.
Should Arsenal get rid of Joe Willock or Reiss Nelson?
Sell Willock
Sell Nelson
Sell both
Don't sell either
However, despite his stunning form, the latest reports suggest the Gunners could well look to cash in on the 21-year-old. According to The Telegraph, Arsenal will accept around £20m with the northeast outfit holding a keen interest in the central midfielder.
But, the bigger question remains, why would the side look to sell the Hale End academy prospect in the first place.
A few supporters on Twitter have tried to make sense of the reports and are claiming the move would raise some much-needed funds for the Gunners ahead of what could be a busy summer.
However, the club’s problems have been laid bare by Willock’s stunning goalscoring form for Newcastle this campaign. The lack of goals from midfield was a central issue to the Gunners’ play last year and it has carried over into the current season.
Arsenal’s central midfield options have notched up one Premier League goal between them this season. Meanwhile, the 21-year-old has four times as many goals as Arteta’s central players combined with three of them coming in his last three league appearances.
For comparison’s sake, Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan has 12 strikes in a statistic which shows the distance between the club and their next league title.
With Arsenal’s struggling from central areas, it would prove extremely baffling to see the club move on the player who proves the closest thing to former starlet Aaron Ramsey.
In other news, one Arsenal player has signed a contract extension.
