Mikel Arteta confirms in-form midfielder will stay at club next season

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Mikel Arteta confirms in-form midfielder will stay at club next season

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has confirmed that on-loan and in-form midfielder Joe Willock will remain with the Gunners next season.Despite being Arsenal since he joined their youth academy all the way back in 2004, Willock, 21, has previously struggled to nail down a place in the side’s first-team plans.

In an attempt to continue his development, the young attacking midfielder was allowed to join Newcastle United earlier this year on a short-term loan.

Since Willock joined up with Steve Bruce’s Toon, the Englishman has experienced a rich vein of form.

Still with one domestic game to go, Willock has already racked up seven goals in his first 13 appearances.

Having clearly played a huge part of his temporary side’s Premier League survival, there have been recent suggestions the midfielder could leave his parent club on a more permanent basis.

However, speaking in a scheduled press conference on Friday, Gunners manager Arteta has assured fans that their on-loan midfielder will be rejoining the Londoners next season.

“He has a contract and is going to be here, that’s for sure,” Arteta told reporters, as quoted by the BBC. “I am really happy things have gone so well for him because of the potential Joe has. 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, and he will be back with us. We will have those conversations with him and plan the next few years with him.”