Jamaal Lascelles hopes to stay at Newcastle United, according to The Athletic, but may still have to face up to a summer departure from the Premier League.
While holding his own against the irrepressible Erling Haaland during Newcastle’s recent 2-0 defeat at Manchester City, that Etihad Stadium clash highlighted both the good and the bad of Jamaal Lascelles.
On the upside, his physical, no-nonsense defending restricted Haaland’s influence; one of a select group of centre-halves to keep a clean sheet up against City’s Norse Force. On the other, however, the drop off in quality from Fabian Schar to Lascelles was impossible to ignore. When it comes to the more technical side of the game, at least.
Centre-halves under Eddie Howe are expected to not only stop attacks but to start them too. That is why Schar, one of the Premier League’s best with the ball at his feet, is one of the first names on the former Bournemouth boss’s team-sheet these days. And, subsequently, why Lascelles has only started four times in the top-flight.
Jamaal Lascelles is facing an uncertain future at Newcastle United
Newcastle are prioritising a new right-sided centre-back this summer; Leeds’ Robin Koch and Lens’ Kevin Danso among their early targets. Lascelles then may be one of a number of players, alongside Matt Targett, Emil Krafth, Ryan Fraser and co, at risk of being left behind by the relentless march of progress.
Lascelles, The Athletic say, wants to stay. Howe, meanwhile, will not force such a loyal and long-serving player out the door. But with his contract expiring in the summer of 2024 – and with a return to Nottingham Forest potentially on the cards (The Telegraph) – Lascelles’ decision may soon be taken out of his hands.
“No footballer wants to sit on the bench,” Newcastle’s seldom-seen skipper tells The Chronicle; displaying the kind of maturity and team-ethic that earned him the armband in the first place.
“But at the same time, I accept when a team is playing well and has got a brilliant defensive record. That is how football works. It will never change my mood or my professionalism. It will just make me work harder, and I will always support the team.”
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