Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is determined to keep Jamaal Lascelles at the club.
As reported by The Northern Echo, there is interest from Saudi Arabian club Al Shabab in signing Jamaal Lascelles. However, Eddie Howe wishes to keep the Newcastle United club captain on Tyneside.
Howe is firm in his conviction that Lascelles can play a part at St James’ Park this season. Whether the 29-year-old centre-back is minded to stay on Tyneside or push for this move to go through remains to be seen.
Lascelles was certainly on the fringes at Newcastle last season. The centre-back only managed seven Premier League outings, as Fabian Schar and Sven Botman established themselves as the first choice partnership in the heart of the Magpies’ rearguard.
Schar and Botman remain at the club. What’s more, the summer arrival of left-back Lewis Hall further frees up Dan Burn to operate in a central role at the back if and when required. All in all, it seems Lascelles is destined for another campaign spent as a bit-part player if he decides to stay at the club.
What next for Lascelles?
It is still easy to see why Howe is keen to keep Lascelles in his squad. He is a quality defender, and given that Newcastle will have Champions League football to contend with this season, having strength in depth and reliable rotation options will be more important than ever.
What’s more, now that the English transfer window has closed, Howe would have no means of replacing Lascelles before January at the earliest if he were to depart now. The Saudi Arabian transfer window remains open until Thursday, meaning Lascelles’ future is still up in the air.
If he does stay, Lascelles will be desperate for some game time this season to prove he can still contribute for the club at the highest level.
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