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Newcastle's Jamaal Lascelles was reportedly a target for former Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho, before the Portuguese manager was given the sack at Old Trafford as reported by ESPN.

What's the word, then?

Lascelles, who has made 22 Premier League starts for the Magpies, found himself amongst a list of potential targets for the January transfer window before the former Chelsea boss was given his marching orders in December after an abysmal run of form.

Inter Milan defender Milan Skriniar and Napoli colossus Kalidou Koulibaly were also said to be on the list of January targets, although both were unlikely to be available mid-season.

Lascelles, formerly of Nottingham Forest, signed a new long-term contract at St James' Park until 2023 towards the end of 2017.

How would Newcastle cope if Lascelles left?

Whilst he is the captain on Tyneside and one of Rafa Benitez's key men, the Magpies could definitely cope if Lascelles were to leave the club given the quality of the names they currently have in defence.

The 25-year-old embarked on a poor run of form towards the end of 2018, coming under fire from some fans for some terrible performances most notably in the 4-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield.

Benitez has the likes of Fabian Schar, Florian Lejeune, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez at his disposal, and given the fact that he has been using a 3-man centre-back formation with wing backs for most of this season, the aforementioned quartet along with Lascelles could be too many bodies to keep happy if only three are set to start.

If Newcastle received a huge fee for the 6 foot 2 defender, then perhaps it would be worth considering given their strength in depth in his position.