Newcastle United are set for a hard fought battle to keep their centre-half, Jamal Lascelles in the side for the next season as heavy interests have started to drop in from Chelsea. According to The Sun, Rafael Benitez might demand that all bid for the 24-year-old be immediately turned down but if a favourable bid does come in, who knows really.
Lascelles arrived at St James’ Park in the summer of 2014 along with his Nottingham Forest teammate, Karl Darlow, However, the duo was loaned back to Forest for a season before they can start their Newcastle careers and Lascelles took up the challenge with great vigour. He was named the club captain in 2016 and has shone under the management of Rafael Benitez.
Lascelles admires Benitez highly and has enjoyed a lucrative spell over the past couple of seasons. He has appeared in 24 games this season, across all competitions and the Magpies were quick to provide him with a contract extension which saw his wages rise to £50,000-a-week.
His current obligation to the club is secured until the summer of 2023 but Chelsea can come in with a significantly improved offer. The Blues are enjoying a spell in the top 4 of the Premier League and are looking to increase their local player quota.
They have already signed Ross Barkley and Danny Drinkwater over the last 2 transfer windows and Lascelles can be their final addition. The West London club is expected to come in with a lucrative deal which would see the Magpies centre-half bank £100,000-a-week.
This might be too good an offer to turn down not just in terms of monetary gain but the opportunity to compete for major honours. Chelsea have won the Premier League title twice over the past 3 seasons and have endured an impressive campaign in the UEFA Champions League.
Antonio Conte’s men were close to perfection against Barcelona in the Round of 16 Champions League tie last week. They could have come away with the win but one mistake ended up costing them and the match ended 1-1 at Stamford Bridge.
These are always promising signs for young professionals who want to make a mark in the game. Their biggest ambitions might be to represent their country on the world stage and Lascelles’ chances will significantly improve if he is in a winning squad.
The Chelsea backline currently features Andreas Christensen, Cesar Azpilicueta and Antonio Rudiger. Garry Cahill was dropped in the last fixture due to inconsistency and is already facing the last stages of his footballing career, now 33.
David Luiz is not in good terms with Conte and has spent the majority of the season on the benches. Lascelles does have the opportunity to shine in a Chelsea jersey, but it is yet to be seen whether he will sacrifice his first-team spot for a rotational option at the Bridge.
