Chelsea are keeping tabs on Newcastle’s centre-back Jamaal Lascelles, who has been one of the standout performers in Benitez’s side. According to reports, Conte is plotting a fee in the region of 18 million pounds for the English defender in order to bolster his defence this January.
He came to Newcastle United for 7 million pounds in 2014 and has established himself as a first-team player under Rafa Benitez. The Magpies have gone 8 matches unbeaten this season and Lascelles has been brilliant in the Championship. He is one of the main pieces in Rafa Benitez’s puzzle and was handed the captaincy this season after Fabricio Coloccini left the club following relegation from Premier League last season.
Conte, who focusses on a rigid base first, has successfully brought in a big change at Chelsea giving them the gift of 3 at the back. Since then Chelsea have ran riot, winning five in a row in the league and the defensive tactics of wing back has been praised a lot. But Conte is well aware that he has no backup to his back line and an injury now could well be a major blow to Chelsea’s title ambitions.
Jamaal Lascelles looks to be the perfect option for Chelsea and it seems he could flourish under a tactical genius like Antonio Conte.
Strengths
The 189m tall defender seems like a perfect candidate for the English top flight football having the perfect height and weight to match its physical demands. The 22-year-old has shown maturity in winning aerial duels and short passing at the back. He blocks the ball quite well and doesn’t lose his focus during the games. He is more like David Luiz and can be a good understudy. Conte has suffered a League Cup defeat using John Terry at the back and he seems to be sure the old Englishman won’t work anymore. Lascelles’ attributes make him the future.
Weaknesses
His weakness comes with his young age. He seems to mistime his tackles a lot. He has conceded 3 yellow cards already and needs to be careful with them. Although he does not rush into tackles, his timing needs improvement. It could be a major concern and could be a big threat for the side.
Opportunity
Conte, unlike Chelsea’s previous managers, is really giving chances to forgotten players. Like Victor Moses, who was until now only travelling on loan, is a first team player. This indicates that Lascelles might break into the first team if he shows his potential. Also, with Terry almost out of the picture and Ivanovic losing the manager’s confidence, Lascelles’ competition has been narrowed down to just three first team players- Luiz, Cahill and Azpilicueta.
Threats
Chelsea are pretty infamous for their loan policy. They have loaned out 38 players this season who are oblivious of their future at the London club. And also the fact that Conte is looking for a backup to the back three implies that Lascelles will only get a chance if anyone gets injured. As Chelsea are already out of League Cup, that opportunity is also gone. His only scope is in FA Cup if not in the Premier League.
