With the news filtering through that Ross Wilson is now joining Newcastle United as the club’s new sporting director, it could well be make or break time for a number of the reserve personnel at St James’ Park who are nearing the end of their current deals.
Indeed, Wilson will want to leave his mark on proceedings, with the likes of Matt Targett surely being let go when his deal expires next summer.
The likes of Kieran Trippier and Fabian Schar, however, will surely be keen to extend their current contracts, which also expire next year, even as they reach both 35 and 33, respectively, having shown they can still offer up plenty of quality as St. James’ Park veterans.
Dan Burn will also want to continue his celebrated Newcastle stay for as long as possible, even if question marks continue to pop up about his suitability as a left-back in Eddie Howe’s XI.
What the future holds for Dan Burn at Newcastle
Burn has become a staple at Newcastle over recent years, with the Blyth-born colossus beaming from ear to ear when he lifted the EFL Cup last year to break the Toon’s long trophy drought, having scored in the unbelievable 2-1 victory.
In total, the 6-foot-7 defender has now tallied up 158 appearances for Howe and Co since joining from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2022, with Burn missing from just one Premier League contest all season long last campaign.
Still, he hasn’t been without his critics this season, with one Toon-based content creator even dubbing Burn’s extended shifts at left-back over recent games as the “stuff of nightmares”.
In particular, the England international notably struggled to close down Bukayo Saka during Newcastle’s late 2-1 collapse against Arsenal, with the usually formidable 33-year-old giving away possession a high 26 times in the process.
With Malick Thiaw’s emergence into the side as an up-and-coming centre-back option, it’s unlikely that Burn will be shoved back into the heart of the backline soon, with the ageing number 33 just hopeful he can remain a consistent starter until his own contract runs out in the summer of 2027.
One of Burn’s Newcastle teammates doesn’t look to have the same luxury of time on his side, however.
Newcastle “leader” is now on borrowed time
When scanning the current makeup of the Magpies’ first-team step-up, there are an awful lot of figures who have been with the club since the very beginning of Howe’s reign.
Nick Pope left Burnley behind for the allure of St. James’ Park during Howe’s first proper summer transfer window, and despite some murmurs last season by journalist Adam Clery that he looks “absolutely petrified” to make an error, he remains Howe’s number one choice all those years down the line.
He does, however, have that same weight on his shoulders that the likes of Trippier and Schar are feeling, as his contract also expires this approaching June.
Jamaal Lascelles is also in this same unwanted boat, but he has been situated on Tyneside since the days of Rafa Benitez, even when his team were locked into a Championship promotion race during the 2016/17 season.
At the time, Lascelles would stand up strong as the Toon’s captain to guide the underachievers back up to the top-flight, with Newcastle royalty in Alan Shearer even going out of his way to label the 31-year-old as a “leader.”
|
Lascelles’ Newcastle numbers |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat |
Lascelles |
|
Games played |
253 |
|
Goals scored |
15 |
|
Assists |
4 |
|
Days out with injury |
953 |
|
Games missed with injury |
119 |
|
Sourced by Transfermarkt |
|
Since then, he has notched up 159 Premier League appearances and counting, but with their Champions League status now nearly a decade from Lascelles’ moment in the spotlight, and his recurring nature in and out of the St James’ treatment room currently, it might well be an apt time to pull the plug on the Derby-born centre-back’s long-winding stay, when his deal ceases to be in June.
Lascelle’s woes with injuries haven’t stopped him from still being seen as a club captain off the pitch, with Howe further reinforcing that he is an “incredible” player to have around the dressing room.
But, with Wilson through the door, and his contract soon to be up, now could be the time to wave goodbye, with Lascelles potentially going on to be a hero for another club, if he can exorcise his injury demons once and for all.
