It is believed that the £160,000 deal with Willems' present club, Vitesse Arnhem, is almost complete, with Willems set to sign a two-and-a-half year contract with The Mariners.
"I'm very happy here. I like English football and I'm glad Grimsby gave me a chance to play here. I think I've done well and I'm glad they're going to take me," enthused the 23-year-old.
Lawrence is also currently involved in contract negotiations with skipper Paul Groves and influential wide-man Kevin Donovan.
Groves is expected to pledge the remainder of his career to the club by putting pen to paper on a new two-year deal while Donovan is yet to decide on the length of contract he is willing to commit to.
"For Kev it's a massive one, because he's in his prime, and it's a big one for us as well," said Lawrence.
"It's not beyond the bounds of possibility that they could all be concluded this week."
Speaking to the Grimsby Evening Telegraph, Lawrence then went on to reveal that he would like to take on-loan Leicester City midfielder Stuart Campbell to the club permanently.
"Next season I'll have the first team mainly comprised of [the current squad], I'll pick up another couple of Bosman's, and it would be lovely to buy Stuart Campbell at the end of the year.
"We'll then look for two or three more long loans, and that is how you have got to do it."
In a busy day for the Grimsby manager, Lawrence also dismissed rumours linking him with a move for Scunthorpe striker Guy Ipoua.
"There is no truth in the rumours - they are complete and utter nonsense. The lad has had a good season but there is a vast difference between the First Division and the Third."
