Matthias Jaissle responds as Besiktas chief vows to sign Joe Willock

Matthias Jaissle has laughed off Besiktas president Serdal Adalı’s bold claim that he will sign Joe Willock, making it clear that the Newcastle United midfielder remains an important part of his plans.

Willock attracted serious interest from the Turkish giants during the summer, but has enjoyed a resurgence under Jaissle and is now Newcastle’s top scorer heading into Monday night’s trip to Coventry City.

Jaissle responds to Besiktas president

Adalı recently revealed the lengths Besiktas went to in their attempts to sign Willock, claiming he had even brought the midfielder’s family to Istanbul and that they had picked out a house ahead of a potential move.

The Besiktas chief also made his intentions clear, saying: “We can sign him in January – in fact, I will sign him.”

However, when asked about those comments ahead of Newcastle’s trip to Coventry, Jaissle appeared relaxed about the situation and laughed before delivering his response.

“Yeah, I hear that every day! 

“I think he’s talking about it also every day, so in general, I think it’s our player. We’re really happy with him, and I think you see that also on the pitch. 

“He’s a top, top player; he can deliver unbelievable performance, and I see even more potential with him, so we are happy that he’s here.”

It is a clear show of faith in a player whose future on Tyneside looked uncertain during the summer, particularly after suffering with injuries and falling down the pecking order as a result.

Willock contract situation remains unresolved

Willock has responded impressively to Jaissle’s show of confidence, scoring against Liverpool, Millwall and Hull City as he re-establishes himself in Newcastle’s midfield.

The 27-year-old is enjoying a new lease of life under the German, who appears convinced there is even more to come from the former Arsenal midfielder.

However, there is still an important issue for us to resolve. Willock’s contract is due to expire at the end of the season, meaning he could agree a pre-contract with a club outside England from January if a new deal is not reached.

When asked whether he would like Willock to sign an extension at St James’ Park, Jaissle was clear in his response.

“Yeah, you can definitely imagine that, how highly I’m talking about him, so there’s not the worry from our side.”

Newcastle will be keen to avoid losing a player who has become increasingly influential under Jaissle, particularly after the summer departure of key midfielders.

Besiktas may remain interested, but Jaissle’s comments suggest Willock is firmly in his plans. The next step will be seeing whether Newcastle can turn that faith into a new contract and put an end to the uncertainty surrounding his future.