West Ham plan raid on Newcastle for Jamaal Lascelles with Hammers determined to make big captures to stem unpopularity
Toon skipper is popular at St James' Park but the Hammers owners are determined to add fresh faces at London Stadium
WEST HAM are planning a £15million raid for Newcastle skipper Jamaal Lascelles.
Hammers want to make some big captures to please their angry fans and they see centre-half Lascelles as one of their main targets.
Owners David Sullivan and David Gold have already started work on improving recruitment and there will be funds for new talent if they stay up.
Lascelles, 24, has been a stand-out for the Toon this season under manager Rafa Benitez.
But he could be tempted by a bigger deal with West Ham — especially as the defender’s agent is close to the Hammers camp.
In the end, a deal is likely to come down to the size of the bid and the wages offered.
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The Londoners are in the middle of changes behind the scenes after the exit of head of recruitment Tony Henry following his remarks about not signing any more African players.
Insiders reveal that West Ham would still prefer to go into the domestic market in the next window — and Derby-born Lascelles is one of those.
The former Nottingham Forest star is also on Gareth’s Southgate’s radar for England.
Lascelles has scored eight goals in 81 games for the Toon and was surprisingly given the armband by Benitez despite his tender years, but he has become a favourite on Tyneside.