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Steve Bruce announces Newcastle United now trying to buy Joe Willock

3 years ago
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Steve Bruce has been quizzed about Newcastle United’s transfer window.

Friday is day 45 of the transfer window and not a single signing for Newcastle so far, with now 39 more days to go.

Newcastle beating League One club Doncaster by the odd goal in five tonight but nobody can deny that there needs a serious injection of quality in this NUFC squad, if there is not going to be yet another desperate relegation struggle.

Steve Bruce only gave Joe Willock eleven starts last season and his teammates only helped create 17 chances to come his way, yet the Arsenal loan player scored eight goals, including scoring in all of his final seven NUFC matches.

Steve Bruce stating that for him the central part of this NUFC transfer window is all about Joe Willock after the impact he had at St James Park last season.

However…it then gets a little dubious and contradictory.

Steve Bruce indicating that he / the club are waiting for Arsenal to make clear what is happening with Joe Willock.

The Head Coach then declaring: ‘We are still trying our utmost, whether it is on loan or to buy him [Joe Willock].’

So Steve Bruce is seriously trying to claim that Mike Ashley / Newcastle United are really trying to buy the midfielder who must be now valued at a minimum of £25m with his goal potential and being an English midfielder who is only 21, all things that add a premium to any transfer value.

Yet in the next breath Steve Bruce says: ‘I think everybody knows how difficult it is going to be as we haven’t got a lot of money.’

You can’t have it both ways and you find it very difficult to accept that Mike Ashley would allow a £25m bid to go in for any player, or indeed £25m to be spent in total this window, if you believe the overwhelming media reports of minimal cash allowed to be spent by Ashley, if any.

Then Steve Bruce says this about Premier League clubs in general in this summer 2021 window: ‘You always want players and money to go and improve the team, that’s our job [as managers / head coaches], but I don’t think I’m alone, I have never known it so quiet.’

This doesn’t match reality, at least 50 players have been bought by the other Premier League clubs window so far, with hundreds of millions spent. From last Sunday alone, there have been ten signings by Premier League clubs with over £140m spent in this six day period. Promoted Brentford have bought three this week and spent over £25m, with central defender Kristoffer Ajer one of them, Newcastle unable to compete with the £13.5m transfer paid by the West London club for the Celtic defender who had long been claimed to be Steve Bruce’s main target.

Then you have Mario Lemina, joining Nice for £4.7m with Newcastle United reportedly unable to compete with the Ligue 1 club.

It seems a massive stretch of belief to accept that with this background, Mike Ashley will suddenly allow a £25m+ bid to go in for Joe Willock.

Steve Bruce makes the excuse that Newcastle are having to wait for Arsenal…what is there to stop NUFC just putting a bid in, if indeed Ashley is willing to allow it? Then the Gunners and Joe Willock would be able to consider it.

The real truth to me appears to be that the only Joe Willock ‘plan’ is for Newcastle United to desperately hope nobody else will be willing to buy Joe Willand then late on, in desperation, Arsenal would allow another loan deal to NUFC on the cheap.

The longer and longer this transfer window goes on, the more and more it appears to be the case that it will be all about frees and loans with Newcastle United, rather than £25m+ deals for players such as Joe Willock who would definitely improve this goal challenged NUFC team / squad.

Steve Bruce asked about Newcastle United’s transfer window – Friday 23 July 2021:

“What are Arsenal going to do?

“They have brought in two midfield players…

“That’s our starting point, with Joe [Willock], because let’s be fair, he had an unbelievable three or four months with us.

“There has to be a time though where we know, is it going to be a yes or a no?

“We are only allowed two domestic loans and we are only allowed one from each club.

“So, there has to come a time when there is a cut-off and we have to find out what’s happening.

“We are still trying our utmost, whether it is on loan or to buy him [Joe Willock].

“We are still trying.

“I think everybody knows how difficult it is going to be as we haven’t got a lot of money.

“You always want players and money to go and improve the team, that’s our job [as managers / head coaches], but I don’t think I’m alone, I have never known it so quiet.

“We have to be patient.

“It’s very difficult but with not a lot of money swashing around, supporters know that it is going to be very difficult.”

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