Sky Sports reported today that West Ham United had made a bid for Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles of £25M and the Tyneside club immediately rejected the offer.
That’s probably only an opening bid from the Hammers but the worry is if a bigger club like Chelsea came in with a much higher offer – say £35M – would Rafa take it?
And Lascelles might be tempted since it would almost guarantee him Champions League football every season with such an ambitious club as Chelsea.
Jamaal is the leader of Newcastle on and off the pitch and if a silly offer came in for him it will be interesting to see how Rafa reacts to that.
Rafa Benitez and Jamaal Lascelles – first day back last Friday
Jamaal is not only a good player getting better all the time under Rafa’s guidance, but he is the heart and soul of this ever-improving Newcastle side.
It would need to be a very high offer if Jamaal is to leave the club this summer.
We hope it doesn’t happen – we must keep our best players if we are to have a good team in the next year or so.
It’s a thing we haven’t been too good at since Mike Ashley bought the club 11 years ago and money has been king – not the strength of the playing squad.
Rafa wants to change all that.
And our inkling is that Jamaal will have no interest in leaving Newcastle and Rafa Benitez this summer.
What do you think?
Comment welcome.
15 comments so far
Essex Geordie Bill
Jul 10, 2018 at 1:48 PM
Comment #1These reports are starting to get really blo0dy irritating.
c-dog
Jul 10, 2018 at 1:50 PM
Comment #2Be a shame to lose such an asset
Essex Geordie Bill
Jul 10, 2018 at 1:53 PM
Comment #3Ed are you running a 24 hour bus service now? 🙂
beermonkey
Jul 10, 2018 at 12:03 PM
Comment #33
Is it national grumpy blog day
beermonkey every day is Mate!
RobLeenio
Jul 10, 2018 at 1:54 PM
Comment #4The club responded the right way – not just rejecting the offer but apparently stating he is not for sale at any price.
Still, it may be time for another new contract….
Essex Geordie Bill
Jul 10, 2018 at 1:54 PM
Comment #5c-dog
That is an overwhelming understatement.
He is a priceless asset as far as the team is concerned.
catchy in norway
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:00 PM
Comment #6By Jamal
griff
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:01 PM
Comment #7Yes, we wont be able to tell if the summer was successful until the window closes. I remember when AC was ‘not for sale’.
DubaiMicky
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:04 PM
Comment #8Rafa is “forced” to stay at the Toon?
http://sportwitness.co.uk/spain-benitez-forced-stay-newcastle-despite-several-big-job-approaches/
Surely the alleged £6m release clause is just that – and I wouldn’t have thought that a guy on £5m+ a year would be much of a bother to the likes of Arsenal or Spain.
So I’m calling bollocks on this one.
DubaiMicky
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:05 PM
Comment #9Meant to say, the release charge wouldn’t be much of a problem.
We’re seeing it more and more in manager’s contracts and why not, the players have them?
RobLeenio
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:09 PM
Comment #10Yeah, Micky The Mag picked up on that article and dismissed it as nonsense. I think the Spanish press have an unhealthy obsession with wor Rafa caused by the turmoil around their National Team currently.
Wayayman
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:12 PM
Comment #11Re the Kenedy deal ‘only’ being a straight loan – he’s got 2 years left on his contract. By this time next year he’ll be into his final year and therefore available for less than he would be now. We still have wages to pay, just like we would had we signed him so it’s not a bad bit of business at all when you think about it. If the player has a good season here and enjoys his time again then there’s no reason why he woudn’t sign permanently. In any case, look at Merino – he signed permanently but he’s moving less than a year after the contract was signed. The bottom line is that the players have all the power and rarely end up where they don’t want to be.
hibbit
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:14 PM
Comment #12from sky news
KENEDY UPDATE
Kenedy has completed his Newcastle medical this lunchtime, and his signing should be confirmed soon.
Kenedy will sign a one-year plan without an option to buy, and will be Newcastle’s third signing of the summer, following Martin Dubravka and Ki Sung-yeung.
ashleysmate
Jul 10, 2018 at 2:18 PM
Comment #13If he was stupid enough to go to w.ham (I don’t think he is) then that would be his misfortune. ..that club is in a mess
At chelski he would be a smaller fish in a bigger pond…. for now I think he likes it here too much
lochinvar
Jul 10, 2018 at 4:53 PM
Comment #14Lascalles is going nowhere.
Why at the point of take off would you abort your mission to challenge the top six.
Lascslles inspires the team, the fans, the city.
He’s the lynchpin to leading the club to the next level.
West Spam are just linked with anything that moves. Only this afternoon they’ve put in a bid for Lancaster Bomber.
Phil K
Jul 12, 2018 at 4:21 PM
Comment #15Its not Lascelles or Rafa that worries me
Its that bastard Ashley unloading him for £££££’s