Newcastle star agrees personal terms to leave St James’ Park despite rejected bid

Newcastle United could be heading towards more significant midfield changes before the transfer deadline.

The Magpies began their Premier League campaign with an entertaining 2-2 draw against Liverpool at St James’ Park, with Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock scoring for Matthias Jaissle’s side before a dramatic 99th-minute Dominik Szoboszlai penalty rescued a point for the visitors.

Away from pitch, the Magpies now look set to make Manchester City midfielder Nico Gonzalez their latest marquee signing. The 24-year-old only joined City from Porto for around £50m in February 2025, but his opportunities have been limited and he could now fill the void left by Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimaraes.

Gonzalez would provide Jaissle with a more natural defensive presence at the base of midfield and could become an important part of Newcastle’s rebuild.

But while one midfielder could be heading to Tyneside, another increasingly appears destined to leave.

Joe Willock agrees personal terms to join Besiktas

Besiktas’ interest in Willock has been developing in recent days, with an offer being submitted.

Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

According to new reports relayed by Sport Witness, the proposal was worth €7m (£6.1m) plus another €5m (£4.3m) in potential bonuses, which would take the overall package to approximately €12m (£10.4m).

That hasn’t impressed Newcastle, who have rejected the bid and are demanding around €20m (£17.3m) to sanction Willock’s departure. However, it is added that Willock has already agreed personal terms with Besiktas after his agent travelled to Istanbul for discussions despite not getting club-to-club approval on the deal.

That final point could become important when it comes to a last minute exit. Willock is into the last year of his Newcastle contract, potentially leaving the Magpies with a decision to make – lowering their valuation now or risk his value declining further or even losing the midfielder for free in 2027.

Despite the rumours of a move away, Willock made an instant impact against Liverpool, scoring seconds after coming off the bench on Sunday afternoon, finishing a rapid Newcastle counter-attack to restore their lead.

The 27-year-old’s strike was called “wonderful” by co-commentator Gary Neville and his display showed what he can offer Jaissle.

A solid squad member, Willock played 1,690 minutes across 39 appearances last season and accumulated 1,524 minutes in 41 matches during the 2024/25 campaign.

After Tonali and Guimaraes’ exits, Willock could be in line for a similar amount of minutes – whether or not that is enough to satisfy his demands is another question.

However, if the claims of agreeing personal terms with Besiktas are accurate, Newcastle may have another decision to make before the window slams shut, especially if they return with an improved bid.