'Official' - Newcastle United transfer offer claim made for 'strong' leader amid contract uncertainty

Newcastle United captain Jamaal Lascelles has been linked with a move away from the club as uncertainty grows around his contract situation.

Lascelles has been a regular in Eddie Howe's side this season due to Sven Botman's knee injury. The 30-year-old has made 21 appearances for The Magpies this campaign, scoring once.

With six months remaining on his current contract at St James' Park, reports from Turkey claim Super Lig side Besiktas have made an 'official offer' for Lascelles. This comes after the defender was linked with a move to Besiktas in the latter stages of the summer transfer window.

With Lascelles out of contract in the summer, Besiktas are able to strike a pre-contract deal with Lascelles that would see him join the club on a free at the end of the season. But with limited options at centre-back and Sven Botman only recently returning from injury, Newcastle's head coach wants Lascelles part of the club's 'long-term future'.

Still, Howe was unable to provide clarity on a potential new deal for the former Nottingham Forest man.

"I'm unsure on contract talks with Jamaal," Howe said. "I'm just trying to rack my brains as to where his contract is at but I think he is part of our long-term future for sure."

Lascelles signed for Newcastle in 2014 and has gone on to make almost 250 appearances for the club, captaining the side to the Championship title in 2017 while also leading the side out in the return of Champions League football to St James' Park with a 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in October.

"I think Jamaal has done really, really well this season," Howe admitted. "His game has come on in lots of different ways.

"Firstly I think defensively, aerially he's always been really strong. I think his defensive understanding of what we want him to do has been very good from day one. His use of the ball has improved and he looks really comfortable in the team."