Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed Joe Willock will return to the club and be reintroduced to his first-team squad after his impressive loan spell at Newcastle United.
The 21-year-old has scored seven goals in 13 matches since joining Newcastle in the January transfer window, including six in his last six games.
The midfielder’s superb form has helped Steve Bruce’s Newcastle move away from the relegation zone and up to 15th ahead of the last game of the season.
Asked whether Willock will return to the Emirates this summer, Arteta said: ‘Yes, I am really happy that things have gone so well because of the potential that he has.
‘I think it was great for him to go away and have a different experience, he has grabbed that opportunity in a really positive and remarkable way.
‘He will come back to us, we will have a conversation with him and plan the next years for him. He got the responsibility and the task to go to Newcastle to help them go where they want.
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‘I’m telling you that I spoke with the coaching staff and they are extremely happy because he was a key part in contributing to get the objectives that they had. So that’s a real positive for him. ‘He’s got a contract and that’s going to be here. That’s for sure.’
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Willock has already played 78 games for the gunners since breaking into the first team in 2018. And Arsenal are currently ninth in the Premier League table ahead of their final-day game against Brighton.
Asked to assess Arsenal’s season, Arteta said: ‘Well if you are saying it’s a step back because we haven’t won a title, then it has to be related. In the league we have two more points than last season, but it’s nowhere near where we want to be.
‘The fact that we don’t have a title so close to grab because we’re not in the Europa League final makes it difficult to see more positives but we were knocked out in the last-16 of the Europa League last season and a lot of things have been done that were very necessary in this season that are not related to results.
‘But at the end of the day, we are here to win.’
