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Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Alan Hutton believes Newcastle United midfielder Joe Willock could be key in helping the side continue their great run of form.
Willock, 22, joined Newcastle from Arsenal last summer for £25 million after a magnificent loan spell at the club last season. During that period, the midfielder contributed eight goals in 14 appearances in the Premier League, helping the Magpies stay up.
So Hutton believes the former Arsenal man could again be a huge player for the team that recently climbed out of the relegation zone into 14th place. Hutton spoke to Football Insider in this regard:
“He was superb last season. What he did after coming in on loan and that run he went on – it was nothing short of incredible. But he’s tailed off this season, and he’ll want to add more goals to his game. He’s been doing really well playing off Chris Wood, who gives Newcastle something different to Callum Wilson – he’s more of a target man.
Hutton lauded Willock for his hold-up play, but wants the player to add a few goals to his repertoire, saying:
“Wood is having a big impact on the likes of Willock because his hold-up play is helping these guys get into these positions, even though he’s not yet scoring goals himself. Newcastle are on a great run of form, confidence is high – they’ll be looking to build on that, and Willock could be key to that.”
Newcastle United to rise up the table next season
Despite their woes earlier in the season under Steve Bruce, Eddie Howe has turned around Newcastle United's fortunes. With the Tyneside club now looking set to remain in the Premier League next season, it begs the question about how they could fare next term.
The summer could be huge for the Magpies, with the influx of funds that have come in from the Saudi-led consortium that bought the club last year. Newcastle have already brought in the likes of Chris Wood, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier, showing they are ready to flex their muscle in the transfer window.
They could look to push on and target higher-profile names. The likes of Napoli midfielder Fabian Ruiz and striker Victor Osimhen, and Lille defender Sven Botman have been touted recently.
With more new signings, Newcastle United could hope to fare much better next season than they are doing now.
