Newcastle are set to demand over £20million from Crystal Palace to sign Joe Willock as they eye a January move for his services.

Joe Willock has been on the fringes of Newcastle‘s starting eleven for a while now due to the quality at Eddie Howe‘s disposal in midfield.

The former Arsenal man started just 11 Premier League games last season, while he has only made eight appearances so far in 2025-26 across all competitions.

Willock was handed a rare start in the Champions League as Newcastle lost 2-1 to Marseille on Tuesday (25 November), and he did impress despite the defeat.

There were rumours of him potentially leaving the club throughout the summer window though, and a new update of more Premier League interest in his services has emerged ahead of January.

Crystal Palace plotting Willock move but will have to pay at least £21m

Former scout Mick Brown revealed to Football Insider in May that Crystal Palace were plotting a move for Willock in the summer, but nothing materialised as he remained on Tyneside.

According to the Telegraph (26 November), Palace are now considering a move to sign Willock in the January window due to his current status in the Magpies squad.

He is not set to come cheap, despite falling down Howe’s pecking order, with the report stating that Newcastle want to recoup the £21million they paid for the 26-year-old back in 2021, as it would help their position regarding profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).

Football Insider also revealed in May that Newcastle were open to selling Willock to balance the books in terms of PSR, but it was instead Sean Longstaff who departed for £12m of pure profit to join Leeds United.

Willock sale could see Newcastle make Kees Smit approach

Willock may well be open to a move away from Tyneside to further his career, and joining Palace would mean a return to his home city, while they also boast European football, albeit at a lower level than Newcastle.

Newcastle have been linked to AZ Alkmaar starlet Kees Smit in recent months, with the race on for his signature as the likes of Liverpool and Real Madrid also track his progress.

The Telegraph’s report states that Willock’s exit could hold the key to the Magpies’ move for the Dutch midfielder, as they may need to sell him to not just partly fund the move, but also create room in Howe’s squad.

Smit is believed to be keen on joining Newcastle as long as he is guaranteed game-time, and so letting Willock go could well see him make the move from Alkmaar in the new year.