AS Monaco are in talks with Joe Willock over a move, providing competition for Newcastle United to land his signature this summer.

RMC Sport reported on Tuesday night that AS Monaco are in talks with Joe Willock, as they consider signing the Arsenal youngster this summer. The French outlet suggest Monaco are currently exploring Willock’s case.

Foot Mercato followed up with their own report, explaining that after Monaco’s move for Jean Lucas fell through, they turned to Willock as an alternative.

There has reportedly been contact between the two clubs, as well as between Monaco and Willock.

Sebastien Denis of the same outlet writes on Twitter that Monaco are advancing strongly for the player’s transfer. Though none of the French outlets explicitly state whether the move would be a transfer or a loan.

You’d hope Arsenal would only let Willock go to France on a permanent deal. There wouldn’t be a huge benefit to letting him leave on loan to Ligue 1 when he’s already impressed in the Premier League.

There’s also the question of whether these reports are just an attempt to put pressure on Newcastle United. The Newcastle links have been hotting up again in recent days, and it would certainly help to speed things along if another club joined the race.

At the moment, the Premier League club appear quite content to wait things out, rather than forcing a transfer through with a serious bid. Perhaps that will change if the Monaco story progresses, and maybe that’s the point.