Jaissle explains Jacob Murphy and Joe Willock calls after £32m double bid

If someone told you Newcastle had rejected offers worth a combined £32m for Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy a few months ago, you'd have called us mad.

Sky Sports' Keith Downie revealed that Besiktas' best offer for Willock reached £17m, while Nottingham Forest upped their initial £10m offer to £15m for Murphy on deadline day.

Substantial offers for two players out of contract in 12 months, but Matthias Jaissle seemed happy to keep the pair on Tyneside, as he explained in today's press conference.

Jaissle keen to keep balanced squad

Matthias Jaissle has revealed that Newcastle rejected late bids for Joe Willock and Jacob Murphy in order to maintain a balanced squad for 2026/27.

Speaking to the media this afternoon, the German said:

"We have a well-balanced squad. The lads were doing good in the pre-season.

"They showed their quality, they still have potential to do even better, and therefore, we made the decision that this is the final squad.

"It's not only these two players. In a long transfer window, there are many approaches for different players. It's important you have conversations with the players, that you're honest, transparent and clear about what you expect from them, but also what they expect from the club and the gaffer.

"We had these conversations. Everyone knows exactly where they are at which stage they are in the squad and then it was the decision that they stayed here."

Willock is one of few players able to play in the No.10 role within Jaissle's 4-2-3-1 system and has impressed in recent weeks, scoring a superb goal off the bench in our opening day draw with Liverpool.

Murphy has lost his place to the in-form Anthony Elanga, but he is our only natural right-winger beyond the Swede, and one of few senior voices in the dressing room after summer moves for previous captains, Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier. 

Extensions likely to protect value

Both players are out of contract in the summer of 2027, leaving them open to discuss pre-contract agreements in January, or depart on a free transfer once the current season ends.

Willock is still only 27 and could protect his market value with a strong, injury-free season, although it's very unlikely we get more than the £15m offered for Murphy, who is now 31.

It may be that we use the next few months to line up a potential right-winger arrival in January, and cash in on Murphy in the new year, but it would be no surprise if the pair both sign extensions.

Given our ongoing battle with the league's financial rules, some will call it a mistake that a combined £32m was turned down for the pair. However, for now, we'll have to trust Jaissle's judgement, knowing we'd have been left light in two key positions had they been sold so late in the window.