ยท 19 August 2025, 12:00
**Newcastle United have finally added to their central defensive options for the first time since Sven Botman arrived in 2022.**
Eddie Howe has been desperate for a young right-sided centre back to come into the club as back up, and to be the eventual replacement for Fabian Schar, and he finally got his man last week when German giant Malick Thiaw joined from AC Milan.
As a result, Newcastle now have three right-sided centre-backs in the squad following club captain Jamaal Lascelles' return to fitness after missing the entirety of last season after an ACL operation.
Now, [The Athletic are reporting](https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6559975/2025/08/19/transfer-latest-eberechi-eze-marc-guehi-arsenal-manchester-united-liverpool-tottenham-hotspur/) that with just 12 months left on his current deal, Newcastle could contemplate selling Lascelles before the window closes in two weeks.
Jamaal Lascelles could be heading for the St James' Park exit
With less than 12 months left on his deal, Newcastle could cash in on Lascelles this summer
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Jamaal Lascelles is a hugely influential presence at the club, and that was no more apparent at Wembley in March when Bruno Guimaraes and Kieran Trippier waited for the club captain to join them before hoisting the Carabao Cup.
However, after missing all of last season, Lascelles does feel surplus to requirements, especially after the arrival of Thiaw.
Lascelles was left out of the squad on Saturday as Newcastle took on Aston Villa and he's unlikely to get selected ahead of Schar or Thiaw unless they are injured.
Lascelles isn't likely to fetch in much money, but every little counts in these PSR times
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The 31-year-old has been at Newcastle for 10 years now, 11 if you include the year he spent back on loan at Nottingham Forest, and he was promoted to captain after a fantastic post-match interview where he called out a group of players at the club who acted like they didn't care that the team was facing relegation.
Even though Lascelles rarely plays, he's still a huge part of the leadership team and is considered the club captain, while Bruno Guimaraes is the team captain, and Kieran Trippier is the vice captain.
We're not sure we'd get a huge fee for Lascelles, and losing him would be disappointing, but it's a necessary evil, and every little helps.