Newcastle plot hijack of Crystal Palace move for Chelsea star; new Blues contract still unsigned
Newcastle linked Chelsea defender Lewis Hall
Newcastle United are planning to hijack Crystal Palace’s move for highly-rated Chelsea player Lewis Hall, according to reports.
The 18-year-old made nine Premier League appearances for the Blues last season and is touted to become a top player in the future.
Hall is versatile, too, with the ability to play as a left-back, left-midfielder or central midfielder. This is something that has caught the attention of Newcastle.
As previously reported by TEAMtalk, Crystal Palace were expected to sign the England under-19s international on a season-long loan. As well as this, Hall was allegedly on the verge of signing a contract extension with Chelsea.
In a dramatic twist, however, the loan move and new contract still hasn’t been confirmed and now Newcastle are looking to lure Hall away from Stamford Bridge on a permanent deal.
Eddie Howe has put a focus on signing young talents since his arrival at St James’ Park. The manager has brought in the likes of Garang Kuol (18), Yankuba Minteh (18) Anthony Gordon (21) and others since he arrived at the club. It now seems that trend is set to continue.
Newcastle plot swoop for Lewis Hall
According to the Daily Mail, Newcastle are ‘exploring’ a deal for Hall. The report notes the youngster had been expected to put pen to paper on a new long-term contract at Stamford Bridge before moving to Crystal Palace on a season-long loan deal.
Howe is currently in the market for a new left-back and it seems he has identified Hall as a potential option.
Chelsea’s Marc Cucurella and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney are also believed to have been considered by Newcastle. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Howe bring in another young talent, however.
Hall currently has three years remaining on his Chelsea contract. The Daily Mail do not state how much the Blues would demand for the versatile defender, but he is unlikely to be cheap.
He joined Chelsea’s academy as an eight-year-old back in 2012 and worked his way up the club’s youth ranks before making his professional debut for the Blues in January 2022 under Graham Potter.
Hall made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Blues last season, eight of which were starts. He was named Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Year after taking his opportunity in the first team due to injuries picked up by both Cucurella and Ben Chilwell.
A move for Hall would certainly fit in with Newcastle’s transfer strategy of buying young, high-potential players, so it will be interesting to see if they make a concrete offer for him in the next couple of weeks.
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