Joe Willock’s stance on leaving Newcastle in January revealed
Joe Willock is open to leaving Newcastle United in the January transfer window amid interest from Crystal Palace and other Premier League clubs.
The 26-year-old started in Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to Marseille in midweek, but has played just 124 minutes of Premier League football so far this season.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the midfielder would be open to exploring a move away from St James’ Park in search of more regular playing time away from Eddie Howe’s first-team plans.
This comes after Football Insider first revealed in May that Willock could be allowed to leave Newcastle amid growing interest in his signature.
He is now likely to consider his options, with a number of Premier League clubs including Crystal Palace keeping a close eye on his situation.
Joe Willock opens door to Newcastle United exit
Football Insider revealed on 28 November that Newcastle are open to offers for Willock and could be prepared to let him move on when the window opens.
However, they will only give his departure the green light if they have a replacement lined up first, given concerns about their depth in midfield.
The Arsenal academy product is hopeful of securing a move away should he be allowed to leave, as he is interested in playing a more important role elsewhere.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “I think if they got a decent offer for Joe Willock, it’s something they would definitely consider because it would allow them maybe to strengthen their squad elsewhere.
“He’s under contract until 2027 as well, so they don’t have too many more opportunities maybe to cash in and Joe Willock as well.
“And I think for the player himself, he could be interested in a move away from St James’ Park in search of regular first team football.
“Palace could be good option for him. Obviously, Oliver Glasner would like to strengthen his squad and Joe Willock is a versatile player.
“He can play central midfielder, he can play out wide and he’s Premier League proven as well. So it could be a good option for them.”
Crystal Palace plan to step up Joe Willock chase
Willock was a target for Crystal Palace during the summer window, but the Eagles never made a formal move and Newcastle were unsure about letting him go.
More recently, Football Insider revealed on 29 November that Crystal Palace are interested in signing Willock as they aim to bolster their squad in January.
Glasner is determined to add to his squad amid ongoing issues with the depth behind his starting XI, as concerns about their fixture congestion continue to grow.
Glasner has previously spoken out confessing he would like to add more players to his squad in January to enable further rotation and allow him to rest key players.
Following Palace’s 2-1 defeat to Strasbourg in the Conference League, the boss doubled down on his calls for the club to invest with attacking players high on his radar.
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