Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe has confirmed that Jamaal Lascelles is ‘definitely’ not leaving St James’ Park this summer.
There has been speculation that the defender could be sold this summer, having fallen down the pecking order last season. Dan Burn’s arrival resigned Lascelles to the bench, while the acquisition of Sven Botman will only hinder his hopes of playing further.
It had been reported that Newcastle could sell Lascelles, as they look to raise funds to sign new players. Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest and Fulham were linked with signing the 28-year-old.
However, Howe has put talk of his captain leaving to bed.
Eddie Howe confirms that Jamaal Lascelles is staying
The Toon boss is currently in Austria with his team, where he was asked about Lascelles’ future.
“Jamaal is our captain. He led the team really well last season,” Howe told the Chronicle.
“He is a big presence and a very positive influence in the squad. He has been excellent pre-season so Jamaal is our captain.
“If he doesn’t play for whatever reason, injuries or whatever, I will pick somebody else. But it’s not the time to talk about it.”
“Jamaal is definitely staying. He is a big part of what we are doing.”
Lascelles is worth keeping at St James’ Park
Keeping Lascelles at the club is the right decision, despite falling out of favour. He’s probably fourth choice now, but he would only need to be replaced if we sold him.
And we’ve already seen this summer how difficult it is to sign players. The Magpies have been priced out of landing so many targets.
Selling Lascelles would merely mean someone else needs to arrive, and that is easier said than done.
It’s good to see that Howe is happy with how the defender has performed in pre-season, describing him as ‘excellent’. However, some supporters may disagree given how he played against 1860 Munich on Friday.
But Lascelles’ influence is beyond just the pitch. He’s a leader within the squad, and can play his part without being in the starting XI. The centre-back is part of the furniture now, and can be a key figure as the team blossoms under new ownership.
Not selling Lascelles and keeping him as captain is absolutely the right decision by Howe.
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