An Internal Solution to Arsenal’s Midfield Problem

The Premier League start date looms large on the not-so-distant horizon for the Gunners, who are once again making heavy weather of outgoings and incomings alike in the summer transfer market.

The general consensus remains that Edu and co. will seek to bolster the ranks with at least one further recruit in central midfield before the end of the window, following the arrival of talented Belgian youngster Sambi Lokonga from Anderlecht in July. Arsenal’s typical laboured approach to transfer negotiations is however proving an obstacle to the expected squad overhaul, so with time at a premium, and resources already stretched, Mikel Arteta’s midfield headache may well require an in-house solution.





Allow me to paint a scenario for you. A young Spanish midfielder emerges from Real Madrid’s academy. Athletic, tenacious and technically proficient, this player has been developing at the club since the age of 4, and loves Los Blancos unconditionally. After a series of eye-catching performances at youth level, the talent begins to break through to the first team, making his league debut at the delicate age of 18. The young man maintains his high performance levels in the senior team, scoring some emphatic goals and proving an all-round asset to the squad in his sporadic appearances, until the manager judges it time to enjoy a 6-month loan spell for guaranteed pitch time.


Without fuss, the now 21-year-old packs his bags and sets off on his journey to the other side of the country, where his new club are fighting relegation and in desperate need of a creative spark. The young Spaniard isn’t at all fazed by the downward leap in class, and begins to immediately relish the opportunity of first team minutes, catching the eye in his first few matches and proving a huge hit with his teammates and the fans. Beginning to find his stride after settling in to his new surroundings, the midfielder registers his first goal for the new team with seven games remaining in the league campaign – and he’s just getting started.


He goes on to score in seven games in a row, becoming the youngest player in the history of the league to score in this many consecutive matches, as well as becoming the first player in the history of his loan club to ever score in seven league games in a row; surpassing the goalscoring legacy of their greatest ever striker. An exceptional feat for a central midfielder, let alone a 21-year-old loanee.


Where would you place the value of this youngster in the transfer market? How much of a dream signing would he be for Arsenal, given our lack of goals from midfield in recent times?


Imagine I told you that we already have him.





Joe Willock appears to have paled into insignificance in the minds of the Gunners faithful. The clamouring for new signings with his exact profile is surprising, given his fine form towards the back end of the 2020/21 league campaign, and Mikel Arteta may yet have a long-term plan in place for the Hale End maestro.


Tremendously athletic, the England starlet boasts an abundance of both pace and endurance, covering near enough every blade of grass on the pitch over a 90 minute display. Newcastle manager Steve Bruce gave testament to Joe Willock’s dynamic play-style in an interview back in April –

“He’s 21, he’s young, fit, athletic, he can score a goal and he’s got wonderful pace. Arguably Joe is as quick as anyone at this club.”


With a keen eye for a goal and plenty of natural attacking ability, Willock has taken on an advanced midfield role during his time with the Magpies, although his useful versatility has seen the youngster predominantly operate as a box-to-box middle man over the course of his senior Arsenal career. Willock averaged an incredible 0.59 goals per 90 last season in the league from midfield, a statistic that appears all the more impressive when compared with his expected 0.3 goals per 90 – testament to the young man’s skill and confidence in front of goal.


His assets, however, range far beyond goal scoring ability. His harassment of the opposition has lead to the accumulation of 27.61 pressures and 2.81 tackles per 90 minutes, with almost 60% of these ball turnovers being won in the defensive third. His effectiveness from deep is compounded by an exceptional ball carrying ability, with a combination of pace, power and special awareness proving invaluable in Newcastle’s ball progression last season. (Stats via Fbref.com)

So how would Joe Willock fit into the current Arsenal setup?

In an attacking sense, Willock’s tendency to drift in behind the striker would appear to fit into Arteta’s system like a glove. Assuming Lacazette maintains his place at number 9, incisive attacking midfield movement is essential for the Frenchman’s deeper playmaking style, and Joe Willock could prove a handy partner when dropping in to link play between midfield and attack.

Versatile as he is, Willock can offer cover in the number 10 position for tricky youngster Emile Smith-Rowe, who was burdened with almost all the creative play responsibility for large periods last season, as well as being deployed in a deeper role operating on a box-to-box basis. An adaptable midfielder that Arteta can depend on could prove a valuable asset for the upcoming season, particularly when considering Thomas Partey’s injury plagued start to life at the Emirates.


Joe Willock made 3 substitute appearances over the course of his spell at Newcastle, and remarkably managed to find the back of the net in each of these performances. His tenacious pressure and willingness to drive forward with the ball is a nightmare for a tired-legged opposition, and assuming he will have to settle for a place on the bench for large periods of the coming season, the 21 year old’s role in the squad could prove vital when the Gunners are in need of a late goal. The recent pre-season friendly against Chelsea offered a clear demonstration of what Willock can bring for Arsenal off the bench, consistently managing to fashion a chance for himself as he was unlucky to have his cracking late strike ruled out by the officials.

All in all, Joe Willock has bags of ability and potential – and Arsenal would be wise not to move on yet another young talent far too early in their career. Be sure to check out our latest blog here which discusses the recent Granit Xhaka contract extension news.