Eddie Howe could well opt to keep hold of Newcastle United club captain and centre-back Jamaal Lascelles beyond the summer transfer window.
That’s according to The Chronicle, who claim that he might be kept on to provide cover for the Magpies, especially if they’re to play more fixtures next season as Howe’s side edge closer to a Champions League place.
Lascelles arrived in the summer of 2014 from Nottingham Forest as well as goalkeeper Karl Darlow, who is currently on loan with Hull City.
Over time he’s gradually fallen down the pecking order despite being the captain of the club, but Howe decided to keep him as the skipper.
This season the 29-year-old has only featured in seven Premier League games, with Fabian Schar and Sven Botman both keeping him out of the team.
Regardless of his fate, there’s no doubt that his manager has been very appreciative of the work he does behind the scenes. Howe has described him as ‘exemplary’ and also said he ‘can’t praise him enough’ earlier on in the season, as quoted by The Chronicle.
There’s no doubt that Lascelles has been a loyal servant to the club and the fact he’s retained the armband for so long suggests that he’s a great character in the dressing room and a real leader.
You suspect that even with Champions League football next season, it’s unlikely that he will feature much. A lot of it will really depend on if any new recruits are brought in to cover the centre-back position this summer.