Klopp should take advantage of Newcastle chaos

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MAY 04: Rafael Benitez, Manager of Newcastle United speaks with Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle United and his son, Jamari Lascelles after the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St. James Park on May 04, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - MAY 04: Rafael Benitez, Manager of Newcastle United speaks with Jamaal Lascelles of Newcastle United and his son, Jamari Lascelles after the Premier League match between Newcastle United and Liverpool FC at St. James Park on May 04, 2019 in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images) /
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Newcastle are in chaos. Rafa Benitez is leaving. Their takeover chat has died down. Liverpool should take advantage of this and sign Jamaal Lascelles.

A while back the Reds were linked with Magpies skipper Lascelles, but then nothing ever came of it. How much that had to do with Lascelles’ loyalty to Benitez won’t be known, but it can’t be discounted.

Fellow defender Federico Fernandez has already come out and criticized the Toon hierarchy for allowing a manager like Rafa to leave at the end of his deal, and you have to assume there are others who feel the same.

Benitez was pretty much the only reason why Newcastle didn’t go down last season, and Liverpool should jump at the confusion and chaos to poach Lascelles.

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This is a player who was highly rated while he was at Nottingham Forest – Arsenal were linked with him – and a man who Klopp has watched closely in the past.

Lascelles in English, has lots of Premier League experience (83 appearances) and is a leader. Toon fans were highly impressed with how he stepped up during the shambolic period under John Carver and Steve McLaren, which bodes well for the future.

Newcastle owner Mike Ashley would flog the shirt off his grandmother’s back and you can be sure that if Liverpool make a half-decent offer he would be off. Transfermarkt value Lascelles at £13.50 millon. It’s not a giant leap to suggest that Ashley would sell for not much more than that.

Alongside Virgil van Dijk and Klopp, there is no doubt that the England U21 international would improve his game.

A deal for Lascelles would also allow the club to cash in on that money Inter Milan want to spend on Dejan Lovren, and it’ll increase the club’s homegrown contingent.

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Liverpool like to take advantage of relegated side’s need to sell, and the situation at Newcastle is another they’d be mad not to exploit.