Sources: Newcastle plan to accept Joe Willock offer, replacement lined up
Newcastle United are prepared to accept offers for Joe Willock in the January transfer window given his lack of involvement so far this season.
The 26-year-old started in Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat to Marseille in midweek, but has made five of his eight appearances so far this season coming from the bench.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the Magpies are prepared to field offers for Willock in the January transfer window with a view to strengthening Eddie Howe’s squad using the money from his sale.
This comes after Football Insider first revealed in May that Willock could be allowed to leave Newcastle amid growing interest in his signature.
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.
Newcastle open to Joe Willock offers as January plan revealed
Football Insider revealed on 24 November that Newcastle are targeting reinforcements in January, with four key positions on Howe’s radar.
One of those key positions is in midfield, where Howe feels his squad is in need of increased depth behind his first-choice starting trio at St James’ Park.
As a result, Willock could be allowed to move on in favour of landing a new option in the middle of the park to further strengthen their ambitious plans for the future.
Speaking on the Inside Track podcast, I explained: “Yeah, I think it’s something that Newcastle will be open to, definitely.
“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 on Joe Willock before then.
“Newcastle, I can’t imagine they would let him go without having a replacement maybe lined up because Eddie Howe’s squad has been hit by injuries.
“Obviously, Howe wouldn’t want to weaken his squad by letting someone go without maybe having a replacement lined up first.”
Newcastle make Harvey Barnes transfer U-turn
Willock is not the only Newcastle star facing speculation about his future, with Harvey Barnes’ situation also up in the air after his return to the starting XI.
Former Man United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider on 24 November that Newcastle now plan to keep Barnes, despite initially considering his departure.
That comes as a result of his recent impressive displays, with goals against Man City and Brentford firing him back into Howe’s first-team plans.
Football Insider revealed in May that Barnes could be interested in leaving Newcastle in search of more regular first-team football, with the club unlikely to block a move.
However, the 27-year-old scored twice as Newcastle beat Man City 2-1 last time out, and is starting to show the consistency being asked in Anthony Gordon’s absence.
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