Why Rafa Benitez is confident Jamaal Lascelles will stay at Newcastle despite interest from top six; Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles is attracting interest from Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea - among other clubs.
Byline: Chris Waugh
Rafa Benitez believes it is only natural that the Premier League's top six will look at making a move forJamaal Lascellesthis summer - but the Newcastle United manager is confident his captain will remain on Tyneside for "a long time".
The 24-year-old has been linked with the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal, Everton and West Ham United in recent months, but Liverpool are the latest club to register an interest in the defender.
In Benitez's opinion, it is no surprise that Lascelles is attracting the attention of the top-flight's elite - given that he is a young, English centre-back, who are few and far between in the modern game.
Also, Premier League clubs are obliged to ensure a certain percentage of their squad are homegrown, so talented English players will always be sought by the top-six sides, regardless of position.
However,Benitezand Lascelles enjoy an excellent relationship, and the United manager believes the defender acknowledges that they best way for him to continue his development is by remaining at Newcastle, where he will play regularly and help the club to progress.
"I think he will stay here, and hopefully for the long term," Benitez told Chronicle Live about Lascelles' future earlier this month.
"He has huge potential and big clubs will look at him because he is a young, English centre-back.
"It is not easy to find good centre-backs who can play well in the Premier League, especially not English ones, and it's even harder to find young ones. You only need to look around the Premier League to see that.
"He has all the attributes to be a target for all top teams because you can see from his performances over the last two years he keeps getting better and better.
"But I think that for his future, and for his development, that he stays in a place where he can play and he can improve and continue to keep getting better with us.
"I think he understands that too. He seems happy and he is learning all the time, so I hope he stays for a long time."
Lascelles led United to a 10th-placed finish in 2017/18, just a season after helping the club to promotion at the first time of asking, and he has improved immeasurably under Rafa Benitez's tutelage.
'This is the right club for me' - Jamaal Lascelles on his Newcastle future amid links to Chelsea
The centre-back's...
To continue reading
Request your trial