Mikel Arteta planning for Joe Willock to be at Arsenal next season despite Newcastle interest

Mikel Arteta says he is planning for Joe Willock to be at Arsenal next season, amid strong interest from Newcastle.

Willock has been on loan at Newcastle since the January transfer window and has enjoyed a brilliant run of form.

The 21-year-old midfielder scored for the sixth game in a row this week, netting the winner against Sheffield United, and the Magpies want to keep him.

The club hope they can land the Hale End academy graduate for around £20million this summer and make his move to the north permanent.

But asked whether Willock will be an Arsenal player next season, Arteta said: “For sure because he’s got a contract and that’s going to be here. That’s for sure.

“I am really happy that things have gone so well because of the potential that he has. I think it was great for him to go away and have a different experience.

“He has grabbed that opportunity in a really positive and remarkable way and he will come back to us, we will have a conversation with him and plan the next years for him.

“And he got the responsibility and the test of going to Newcastle to help them get where they want to. I spoke with the coaching staff there and they are extremely happy because he was a key part of contributing to get the objectives that they had. That’s a real positive for him.”

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