Newcastle United could sell defensive duo Jamaal Lascelles and Florian Lejeune as interest hots up from two cash-rich clubs, according to the Northern Echo.
The regional publication claim Everton are preparing to table an early-window £30million offer for centre-back Lascelles as they look to overhaul their defence this summer.
The Northern Echo report Newcastle owner Mike Ashley could be tempted to cash in on both Lascelles and his fellow defender Lejeune, who is the subject of strong interest from Sevilla after his impressive debut campaign.
OPINION
Newcastle fans will be worried sick by this latest report. The combination of intense interest in their star duo from two clubs with money to spend and the possibility that Ashley will sanction their sales over Rafael Benitez’s head with be a great concern to supporters. Certainly, Ashley has a history of selling the crown jewels, even if he does often manage to make sizeable profits on the players concerned before doing so. It is little surprise there is strong interest in first choice centre-back pairing Lejeune and Lascelles, who were integral to the team’s 10th-placed finish in the recently completed Premier League campaign. As every man and his dog knows, Everton have cash in the bank and are not afraid to spend it. With the Echo reporting that “money will not be a problem” also for Sevilla as they prepare to sell defender Clement Lenglet to Barcelona, there is the very real prospect of a summer in which Ashley is negotiating the sales of the pair and casting a shadow over pre-season preparations. Newcastle fans have read this script before.
