Besiktas Locks Onto Newcastle Midfielder With €5 Million Gap Remaining

Newcastle United's midfield shift has seen the club acquire Nico Gonzalez from Manchester City, with Joe Willock potentially leaving St. James’ Park before the September 1st deadline. The Turkish club, Besiktas, has been pursuing Willock throughout the summer and has now officially made an offer, according to Fabrizio Romano. The initial bid was confirmed over the weekend, with the Turkish club submitting their offer after identifying the 27-year-old as their primary midfield target.

Besiktas has reportedly reduced its asking price for Willock from €23 million to €20 million, but the Black and Whites are still pushing for a further discount. Fanatik reported that Besiktas desires to finalize the deal for a maximum of €15 million, including bonuses. This leaves a €5 million gap between the two clubs with one week remaining in the transfer window.

Willock has reportedly given a preliminary "yes" to Besiktas and asked Newcastle to lower its demands to facilitate his move. If the transfer is completed, it would signal the end of Willock's five-and-a-half-year tenure at Newcastle, having initially signed on loan from Arsenal in 2021 before making the move permanent in 2022.