Joe Willock has opened up on leaving Arsenal for Newcastle on a permanent transfer and admits it hurts him that the Gunners wanted him to go.
The midfielder was groomed at the Emirates and was highly regarded at the club, so he expected to return and get a chance under Mikel Arteta after a successful loan spell at Newcastle United.
However, when he returned to the club in the summer, he realised Arsenal were eager to offload him and he subsequently made the move to Newcastle permanent.
He is now enjoying life under Eddie Howe and might play in the Champions League next season.
However, he wishes his time at Arsenal ended differently and recalls via The Telegraph:
“When the talk of a permanent move started, I wasn’t sure, you know.
“The fans probably made that decision easier but also Steve Bruce. He really fought to bring me here, he was great for me.
“We had loads of conversations on the phone that summer. I wasn’t valued at Arsenal, that became clear.
“When I had a meeting with them, it was obvious they wanted me to go. Yeah, it hurt.”
Just Arsenal Opinion
Most fans expected Willock to get game time when he returned from his initial loan spell at Newcastle, but it is clear that Mikel Arteta did not value him enough to keep the Englishman.
The Gunners are now making progress without him and the midfielder must move on from the hurt he felt.
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