Newcastle United are currently enjoying a remarkable resurgence under manager Eddie Howe, with the 44-year-old having dragged the club from relegation contenders to Champions League hopefuls in just over a year.

The season so far has proven particularly impressive with the Magpies now in third place after winning their past five Premier League games, having notably sealed a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea at St James' Park last time out.

One man that was a bystander to proceedings against the Blues once again was club captain Jamaal Lascelles, with the centre-back having been resigned to a peripheral role so far this term amid the form of Fabian Schar and summer signing Sven Botman.

While the 29-year-old has only recently admitted he can "completely understand" his role on the sidelines - having started just one top-flight game this season - the former Nottingham Forest man is now something of a spare part for the Tynesiders, with it perhaps time that the Englishman sought out pastures new.

That is the view of pundit Alan Hutton, who suggested that "it has just not really worked out" for the £40k-per-week dud to date, having arrived at the club back in 2015 after signing from the City Ground outfit the year earlier.

The former England U21 international has gone on to rack up 220 appearances for the club in all competitions over the past seven years or so, although the latest suggestion is that he could be shown the door sooner rather than later.

As per Football Insider, the club are reportedly willing to cash in on the Derby-born brute - who has just 18 months left on his existing deal - for a fee of around £10m, with the player not seemingly part of the club's long-term plans moving forward.

It is hard to argue with the defender's fall from grace with the club currently thriving in his absence, with Howe's men having conceded just 11 times in the league so far this season - the joint-best record in the division.

That contrasts greatly with the previous campaign - in which Lascelles featured prominently after making 26 league outings - as the club shipped 62 goals in the Premier League, with that the sixth-worst record in the division.

That stark contrast has illustrated the improvement that Howe's men have made without their skipper in the side, with the 6 foot 2 menace seemingly serving as a reminder of the turbulent period that has gone before under Mike Ashley, rather than a figure who can be counted on to lead the charge under the ambitious new ownership.