Newcastle United defender Jamaal Lascelles is being eyed by West Ham United ahead of the summer transfer window.
Just a handful of days after Rafa Benitez made it clear to The Telegraph that his future at Newcastle United largely depends on whether he is able to build on the promise that they have shown this season, one of the Magpies’ best players is being linked with a move away from St James’ Park.
Lascelles has been very impressive for Newcastle this season having established himself as a real leader in the ranks, and he is surely one of the players that Benitez would have been looking to build his team around if owner Mike Ashley gives him the opportunity to step things up over the summer.
If the 24-year-old is allowed to leave for a side that currently sit in an even more precarious position than Newcastle do – David Moyes’ men are just two points above the drop zone – that would send out a terrible message regarding what the future looks like at St James’.
Not only would that leave some of the Magpies’ other key men asking serious questions regarding the club’s direction, but getting quality players to join will also be an incredibly difficult job.
And with Benitez already putting so much faith in the club to stay with them following relegation and through numerous transfer windows that have often proved underwhelming in terms of permanent signings, the Spaniard would be forgiven for feeling cheated if the Magpies decided to cash in on Lascelles, especially if the deal in question was a £15 million move to West Ham.
From the outside, it certainly appears that Ashley has put Benitez’s patience to the test since he arrived in 2016. He can have no complaints if selling Lascelles to a club who may barely preserve their top flight status this season proves to be the final straw.
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