Among all the talk of players leaving Newcastle United, the Magpies’ captain Jamaal Lascelles could be on his way out.
The headlines are being dominated by talk of Kieran Trippier going to Bayern Munich and Miguel Almiron joining Al-Shabab, but Jamaal Lascelles is another player whose Newcastle United future is uncertain.
His contract is due to expire at the end of the season, and the 30-year-old was actually linked with leaving Newcastle for Turkish side Besiktas during the summer transfer window.
That move did not come to fruition, but now Besiktas are back and trying to do a deal for the defender.
It has previously been reported that the Turkish club have made a bid for Lascelles, and that Besiktas officials have actually been in England trying to do a deal.Jamaal Lascelles asks to leave Newcastle United
According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, Jamaal Lascelles has now asked Newcastle United for permission to leave the club during the January transfer window. They state that he is interested in signing for Besiktas, who are currently managed by former Portugal boss Fernando Santos.
A move to the Black And Whites would see him play alongside former Premier League winners Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Gokhan Inler.
It would be a huge blow to lose Lascelles, as he has actually been a massively important player for us this season. The centre-back played regularly during Sven Botman’s absence, with Dan Burn describing the skipper’s performances as ‘unbelievable‘.
But now he could be on the move, which would be really concerning given our lack of options at the back.
However, it is understandable that Lascelles would seek a move away from Tyneside, as his contract is due to expire in the summer. There are no guarantees that he will be given an extension, so it would make sense for him to take the opportunity to leave now and secure his long-term future.
For now, it is just the Turkish media reporting this, so it will be interesting to see if the English press soon discuss Lascelles possibly being sold. If they do, that is when we seriously need to worry.