Chelsea’s scouts have been keeping an eye on the Newcastle defender
Antonio Conte is considering an £18 million bid for Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles after having the 22-year-old scouted in the Championship.
Lascelles has been a key member of Rafael Benitez’s Magpies side that has rose to top of the Championship table, in their bid for an immediate return to the Premier League.
It is no secret that Conte has struggled to bring in the defensive reinforcements he has required this summer, with his ageing backline causing the Italian some concern.
Deadline day swoops for former Chelsea star David Luiz and Marcos Alonso were last minute and much-needed purchases. However, the former Juventus boss is still not satisfied with his backline.
According to reports, Conte is keen to sign young and homegrown stars – in order to meet the requirements of the Premier League – and Lascelles fits the bill perfectly.
The former Nottingham Forest defender could be the long-term replacement for John Terry, who had looked set to leave the club in the summer, until signing a new one-year deal.
Burnley’s Michael Keane, Tottenham full-back Ben Davies and Middlesbrough’s Ben Gibson are also interesting Conte, who has been given the green light to spend big in January.
