Newcastle United briefing: Chelsea weigh up bid for defender, Achraf Lazaar reacts to axe

After all, Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has been superb this season.

But news that Chelsea are "monitoring" Lascelles ahead of the summer will concern supporters.

Elsewhere, Aleksandar Mitrovic is off the mark for loan club Fulham, while Achraf Lazaar, another loanee, has reacted to his omission from Benevento's squad.

And we take a look at Kieron Dyer's new book "Old too soon, smart too late" ahead of its publication tomorrow.

Here's your daily briefing:

Admirers

Lascelles has hardly put a foot wrong this season.

Rafa Benitez's side are far harder to beat with Lascelles in the team, and the 24-year-old was missed during a spell out with injury.

And Chelsea are taking note, according to the Evening Standard.

The Premier League champions are reportedly looking to sign another centre-half in the summer.

And the club "have been admirers of Lascelles since 2016", according to the Standard.

Lascelles signed a new deal last October keeping him at United until 2023.

In the cold

Lazaar isn't having such a good season. In fact, the defender's season is all but over.

The 26-year-old, loaned to Benevento for the season, was left out of the club's squad for the second half of the campaign following the arrival of Bacary Sagna.

Lazaar will not be able to play for Benevento between now and the summer, when he hopes to go to the World Cup with Morocco.

The 26-year-old – who signed a five-year deal at United in the summer of 2016 after joining from Palermo – today reacted to reports on his situation at Benevento by posting a message on social network Instagram.

It read: "I know what I want and I'm coming for it."

Meanwhile, Mitrovic is off the mark for Fulham, the club he joined on loan last month.

Guilt

Dyer has a story to tell.

The former United midfielder's new book is in interesting and engaging read.

It addresses many of the controversies of his career at the club and his "guilt" at the sacking of Sir Bobby Robson in 2004.

“I wasn’t blameless,” said Dyer. “I admit that. I have spoken several times already about the guilt I feel over mistakes that I have made in my life. My role in the sacking of a man I admired and revered more than any other man in something that I will always regret, too.

“I had my reasons for behaving the way I did, but I wish now that I had acted differently.”

* “Old too soon, smart too late: My story” by Kieron Dyer is published tomorrow by Headline priced £20.