As per Sam Wallace of The Telegraph, Newcastle United have agreed a £28m deal to sign Lewis Hall from Chelsea.
The agreement will see The Magpies pay an initial £28m fee to the West London side, with potential for this to rise in the future with add-ons.
This comes just weeks after The Blues agreed to a new six-year deal with the 18-year-old, who was then expected to join Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace on a season-long loan.
However, despite Eddie Howe’s side already having seen multiple approaches turned down this summer, they have now agreed a deal for the teenager, with Chelsea seeing the fee as too good to turn down, given their depth in his position and their Financial Fair Play situation.
Being a graduate of the Cobham academy, Hall’s sale will help the Stamford Bridge side book a straight profit in their books, as they look to balance out the £300m plus they have spent on incoming transfers this summer.
As for the player himself, Hall sees the move as an opportunity to play compete in the Champions League and play regular football at Newcastle, who he is said to have grown up supporting as a child. Capable of playing a vast number of positions, such as on the wing, left-back, left-wing-back, and central midfield, the England youth international made eight Premier League starts last season, with his endless energy and influence in both boxes standing out out in what was a struggling Chelsea side.
Furthermore, Hall, who earned Chelsea’s 2022/23 academy player of the year, has also impressed in youth competitions- accumulating 18 goal involvements in 48 appearances in the Premier League 2 and UEFA Youth League combined- performances which Howe will hope he can replicate over the coming seasons.
This move would be the fourth first-team signing at St.James’ Park this summer, with Sandro Tonali having arrived for €70m from AC Milan, Harvey Barnes joining for £38m from the relegated Leicester City, whilst fellow former Chelsea academy graduate Tino Livramento has arrived from Southampton for £40m.
Travis Levison | Get Football
