Chelsea make Lewis Hall decision in ‘best interests’ as Newcastle transfer

Newcastle United have found rivals have been less willing to deal with them since the takeover but Eddie Howe believes Chelsea have let Lewis Hall go because of their own interests

                           Chelsea make Lewis Hall decision in ‘best interests’ as Newcastle transfer..

Eddie Howe has insisted he was not surprised that Chelsea were prepared to let Lewis Hall join Newcastle United because the Blues made a decision ‘in their best interests’.

Hall is due on Tyneside on Friday to undergo a medical ahead of completing a move to his boyhood club. Hall will join on loan, initially, with Newcastle having an obligation to buy the highly-rated left-back for an initial fee of £28m.

The arrangement suits both parties when it comes to Financial Fair Play regulations and how the fee will be recorded in their respective accounts. Newcastle have had to be creative after already spending around £125m on Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento this summer while Chelsea will be able to file the sale as a huge profit because Hall is, of course, an academy graduate.

Chelsea’s need to balance the books is obvious, particularly after the Blues have spent big on midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia this week, but the club’s willingness to let a prized 18-year-old join Newcastle is still striking. After all, it was only less than a year ago that Howe admitted that there was ‘no one there ready to do us a favour’ after the ‘narrative’ changed following the club’s takeover. Howe even went as far as to say if there is ‘anything domestically, teams will put their price up if it is Newcastle’. So was Howe surprised Chelsea were willing to do business?

“I don’t necessarily see it that way,” the Newcastle boss told reporters. “They have their own decisions to make. Until the deal is done, it’s difficult to say. They have made a decision that’s in their best interests and we have made a decision in our best interests.”

Those ‘interests’, from Newcastle’s perspective, are clear. Although Hall has only made eight Premier League starts, the mature teenager impressed in games against some of the best teams in the top-flight last season, including Newcastle, with his crossing, engine and composure. Hence why Newcastle are prepared to make Hall one of the most expensive English teenagers of all-time, knowing full well that the youngster has the potential to be worth a whole lot more as the club’s first-choice left-back in the years to come. As Howe put it: “He is a player that I like. Very versatile. Really good potential.”

Hall also fits the profile of player Newcastle have targeted in 2023 at a time when the Magpies are reducing the average age of the squad with one eye on the future as well as the present. In fact, four of Newcastle’s five major signings this year will have been English and aged 25 and under once Hall completes his move from Chelsea.

Newcastle signed Anthony Gordon (22) back in January and the black-and-whites have since brought in Barnes (25) and Livramento (20) before finalising a move for Hall (18) this week. Sandro Tonali remains the sole major addition from overseas in 2023 and, even then, the Italy international is only 23. That change in strategy certainly does not feel like a coincidence.

“Hopefully, you have them then for the future and you can mould and develop the players around your style and your philosophy. The obvious one if they are British-based is you do not have a huge transition period. There’s no language barrier.

“Those things are important as well, but it doesn’t mean you can’t go the other way and sign young foreign players. That’s something we’re certainly aware of and we will monitor every situation individually.”