Pundit claims Arsenal selling £25m man is the ‘worst decision’

Lewis Oldham
Darren Bent Arsenal

Darren Bent has suggested that Arsenal have made the “worst decision” by selling Joe Willock to Newcastle United for £25m.

With first-team opportunities being hard to come by at Arsenal, Willock joined Newcastle on loan last January.

The Englishman hit the ground running with the Magpies. He finished the season superbly as he netted in seven straight Premier League games.


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Newcastle have made Willock’s transfer permanent this summer for a fee of around £25m. 

Bent was asked about the youngster leaving Arsenal during his latest appearance on talkSPORT. He believes “they were not” right to sell Willock as is it the “worst decision”:

“We’ve seen (Mo) Elneny, we’ve seen (Granit) Xhaka. Xhaka’s time has passed now for me. Elneny has never really got started.

“But we’ve got a young player who’s hungry, who went out on loan to Newcastle and did very, very well, coming back full of confidence, hoping to be part of the squad, and then you just let him go.

“It’s brilliant news for Newcastle. They’ll absolutely love him up there. But, for Arsenal, it was the worst decision.”

Elsewhere, Rio Ferdinand has suggested that Willock is a “really good talent” and he is surprised that Arsenal have let him go:

“I don’t know how Arsenal have let Joe Willock go. The guy scores goals from midfield man. I really like him.

“I don’t understand that. Newcastle have done unbelievable well to get him by the way, I think he’s a really good talent.

“He scores goals, he expects to score, he’s a good mover, makes good runs.

“With Arsenal, I know they’re building and Arteta is trying to build something and he’s setting the foundations there, but they’re in no man’s land.

“They’re not a threat to anybody. You don’t consider them a real threat at all and it’s not just the Arsenal that I played against with Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Martin Keown, Tony Adams, Sol Campbell, Ashley Cole.

“It’s just a very different time now for Arsenal. It’s sad to see because I really like Arsenal.”