David Ornstein has dropped a big Newcastle transfer update regarding Joe Willock... 

What's the talk?

According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, Newcastle have reached an agreement with Arsenal over a deal in excess of £20m for midfielder Joe Willock. The England under-21 international has been their priority target throughout the window and they are now closing in on their man.

The report claims that personal terms have not been agreed as of yet, with Newcastle now discussing a potential contract with Willock to convince him to make the switch from The Emirates.

Cloud nine

Newcastle fans will surely be on cloud nine following this update from Ornstein, with Mike Ashley splashing the cash to get this deal done. Willock made a huge impression at St. James' Park during his loan spell last term and supporters will be delighted that he appears set to return on a permanent basis.

The 21-year-old scored a phenomenal eight goals in 11 Premier League starts for Steve Bruce's side, only Callum Wilson scored more for the club. This shows that he could be a much-needed addition to the team for the 2021/22 campaign, as it alleviates the pressure on Wilson to score all of the goals as Joelinton was the next-top scorer with just four goals in 31 games.

After making his debut for Newcastle last season, Willock was hailed as a terrific athlete and modern-day midfielder by Bruce. He said:

"It was a classic midfield player’s goal from the ability to arrive in the box, and that’s what he’s brought us. He can go box-to-box, he’s a terrific athlete, the kid, a typical modern-day midfield player who has the ability to get up and down the pitch quickly and has that added ability to score a goal."

Willock also averaged an exceptional WhoScored rating of 7.13 during his time at the club on loan. This was the best score of any Newcastle player in the Premier League last season, suggesting that he was the most consistent, highest quality, performer in the side - ahead of the likes of Wilson and Allan Saint-Maximin.

This is why fans will be buzzing to see him return to the club, as they could now get the chance to watch his outstanding displays again throughout the upcoming campaign. Although, it is now down to Willock to prove that he can do it over the course of an entire year and that he was not an 11-game wonder during his time on loan.

AND in other news, Imagine him and Shelvey: NUFC must pounce on chance to land £100k-p/w "match-winner"...