Former Newcastle United star Keith Gillespie believes that there will be plenty of interest in Joe Willock this summer, telling The Transfer Tavern that he has emerged as a fine player during his time at St James’ Park.

Willock moved to Newcastle on loan from Arsenal in the January transfer window.

And he has gone on to make a phenomenal impact at the club as they have climbed clear of relegation danger.

The 21-year-old has made 12 appearances in the Premier League for the Magpies and has scored six goals, netting in all of his last five outings for the club.

That includes strikes against Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur.

As a result, there has been a natural suggestion that Newcastle will do everything they can to bring him in on a permanent basis, but Gillespie feels they will face major competition in their bid to sign Willock permanently.

However, he also doubts whether Arsenal will be willing to let him leave.

The former Newcastle star said: “I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s other clubs interested if he is made available for transfer but for me, I just thought he was getting let out on loan to get a little bit of experience by Arteta, so I don’t know whether they’ll be willing to let him go or not.

“For me, he looks a really, really good player.”