With Eddie Howe’s team zeroing down on the acquisition of an exciting Premier League star, Newcastle United is trying to complete the summer puzzle.
What’s new with Lewis Hall’s trip to Newcastle?
Sky Sports reports that Newcastle and Chelsea are in early talks for the signing of brilliant teenager Lewis Hall, and they’re talking about paying somewhere around £30 million.
The Evening Standard previously stated that the Blues had offered Hall a lucrative new contract while also agreeing to a loan agreement with Crystal Palace for the 18-year-old, but it appears that they were persuaded by the opportunity to recoup a sizeable money for an academy product.
Howe recently stated that he would “love” one more signing, and it appears that he has gotten his wish. The Magpies have already signed Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes, and Tino Livramento for the first team this summer.
Lewis Hall: How excellent is he?
Hall was singled out as a diamond in the rough last season as Chelsea floundered in an appalling campaign, finishing 12th in the Premier League and looking about as wretched a squad as can be. Journalist Fentuo Tahira Fentuo praised Hall for his “assured” age-belying presence on the ball.
Even though he only appeared in the Premier League nine times, he managed to acquire an average Sofascore rating of 7.01 by completing 84% of his passes, averaging 1.2 shoots, 1.7 critical passes, and 2.7 tackles per game.
Raj Chohan of BBC Sports claims that the 5-foot-10 gem is a “top-tier talent” with “unbelievable dribbling ability” and ranks among the top 16% of full-backs in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90, according to FBref.
Hall could very well give the Magpies the ideal option to compete with Dan Burn for a regular starting position in the Toon team. After all, Newcastle will play in the Champions League this season and could conceivably win silverware on four different fronts. Hall also ranks among the top 5% for tackles and the top 10% for interceptions per 90.
Given Hall’s versatility and skill on both the offensive and defensive sides of the field, Howe might transform him into his own personal take on Chelsea’s Reece James, which would hurt the Blues given that they approved the trade of Hall.
James, like Hall, is a Cobham academy alum. He was just named club captain after making 148 appearances, tallying 11 goals and 20 assists, winning the Champions League, and receiving Graham Potter’s “beyond the sky” assessment of his potential.
The all-around defender has ball-playing and carrying abilities that place him in the top 5% of peers in his position for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive passes and progressive carries per 90.
Hall is still in the early stages of his career and will keep putting the pieces together as he gains notoriety. Chelsea may come to regret selling Hall in the future as Newcastle develops a talent to challenge James in the Premier League.