Sunday night 'exclusive' confirms NUFC have agreed fee with Arsenal to sign Joe Willock

According to a Sunday night 'exclusive' from The Athletic, Newcastle United have agreed a fee with Arsenal to sign Joe Willock on a permanent deal.

David Ornstein - their chief correspondent for all things Arsenal - states that a fee 'in excess' of £20m has now been agreed, however personal terms still need to be finalised.

The midfielder scored eight goals in 14 games during a successful spell at St James' Park over the second half of last season and was left out of Mikel Arteta's squad for their 1-0 loss to Tottenham on Sunday afternoon.

Arteta refused to confirm the reasons behind his absence, however it now seems pretty clear why he wasn't selected by the Spaniard.

Here's what Ornstein's had to say in his latest update on the 21-year-old's future, suggesting Steve Bruce is FINALLY closing in on his first signing of the summer and number one target:

It seems Arsenal have decided to cash in on Willock after trying and failing to move on the likes of Lacazette and Bellerin so far this summer, with his sale likely to boost their recruitment drive over the coming weeks.

Hopefully personal terms aren't a problem and he's pictured in a black and white shirt before next weekend's clash with West Ham!