Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles could be the subject of a bid from Italian club Lazio, who are reportedly set to offer Jordan Lukaku, brother of Manchester United’s Romelu Lukaku, in exchange for the centre-back.
Lascelles is one of several centre-backs that Italian club are interested in, with the others being Bruno Viana, Davide Biraschi, and Calum Chambers of Arsenal, as per Il Messaggero.
The Newcastle centre-back has been an important part of the team since signing for them in 2014. He stayed at the club despite relegation a few years ago, and helped the team earn promotion back to the top flight a couple of years ago.
Lascelles has been an ever-present fixture at the heart of the Newcastle United defence, helping the Magpies to a 13th place finish in the 2018-19 season, which saw them concede 48 goals –a better defensive record than Arsenal and Manchester United.
The centre-back signed a new contract with the Magpies last year which expires in 2024.
Jordan Lukaku, meanwhile, is a left-back who joined Lazio in 2016 from Belgian club Oostende for a fee of €4 million.
Lukaku fell out of favour at Lazio in the 2018-19 season, making just two starts in his 8 appearances for the club in the 2018-19 season. The full-back’s contract with the Italian side expires in 2022.
The Magpies were keen on signing Lukaku earlier this year in the January transfer window, but that transfer fell through.
Should Newcastle United accept the deal?
Jamaal Lascelles is probably one of Newcastle United’s best players right now, and is a leader on and off the pitch. The 25-year-old defender is a player who puts his body on the line every time, and has helped the Magpies become a tough team to beat.
He is great in the air and is a no-nonsense defender who gets rid of the ball from the defence at any cost.
Newcastle United should do everything in their powers to retain the defender, especially at a time like this when the Magpies could go through a transition phase with potential new owners.
The Tyneside outfit need a new left-back, and Lukaku could be a good fit for the side with his driving runs and crossing ability, but Lascelles shouldn’t be swapped to bring the Belgian in.