Lewis Hall situation at Newcastle United now explained – Kind of… | OneFootball

On 22 August 2024, Chelsea revealed that Lewis Hall had joined Newcastle United.

Chelsea confirming that Newcastle United had ‘an option to make that move permanent’ after the initial year on loan.

Their official statement reading ‘Lewis Hall has left Chelsea and joined Newcastle United on loan for the season, with the Magpies holding an option to make that move permanent.’

With Newcastle United having spent a sizeable amount on Tonali, Barnes, Minteh and Livramento, Lewis Hall was seen as a bonus signing for the 2023/24 season.

With NUFC pushing their PSR (FFP) limits, a loan deal with the aim of making that permanent the following summer when Newcastle would have more freedom to spend again, appeared to be a big positive. No official figures given out by the clubs of course but the deal was widely reported as having been a £4m loan fee to be paid for this season, then a £28m fee when / if the deal made permanent after the 2023/24 season is concluded.

Lewis Hall looked like another great young player coming through at Chelsea, still only 18, he had made 11 first team starts and that included eight Premier League starts last season, the very final one of those coming on the last day of the season. Chelsea played out a 1-1 home draw with Newcastle United and playing as an attacking left-back, Lewis Hall looked arguably the best player on the pitch.

A lifelong Newcastle United fan as well, due to his family background, what could possibly go wrong for Lewis Hall as he arrived on Tyneside?

Well, almost seven months later, Lewis Hall has played only 106 Premier League minutes for Newcastle United, one start and seven very brief sub appearances. He has started three times in cup matches this season and the undoubted highlight was the League Cup hammering of Man U at Old Trafford when Hall scored the second goal.

Signed at the age of only 18, it isn’t a massive surprise that Lewis Hall hasn’t started a lot of games this season. However, starting so few games and especially so little use of him made off the bench, despite the ridiculous number of players missing for so many months, has not surprisingly made fans wonder what was going on?

The Chelsea statement when he came to Newcastle on loan, said that there was an ‘option to make the move permanent’, it didn’t say ‘obligation’ to buy.

The lack of minutes on the pitch, has led many fans to wonder if this is due to Eddie Howe and/or the club’s owners changing their mind about a permanent deal and so avoiding some kind of trigger, such as how many starts, or indeed minutes in matches for Newcastle United, especially in the Premier League.

Eddie Howe was asked once again on Friday about the Lewis Hall loan / permanent deal situation and the lack of minutes on the pitch:

“I’m preparing for Lewis to be here for many years.

“I believe in him.

“He was brought here for the long-term.

“There’s no magic wand.

“Sometimes you just need patience.

“Which I know is a rare commodity.”

When Eddie Howe was pressed yesterday on whether Newcastle United were currently obliged to make the deal permanent, whether certain criteria had been ticked off that would make an end of season purchase definitely happen, the NUFC Head Coach replying:

“I don’t think that has quite happened yet but hopefully it will do very soon.”

Then when pushed further on what that criteria to make the deal permanent was, Eddie Howe coming back with:

“Now you are digging too deep.”

That is fair enough, as if it is a confidential contract, then especially from the perspective of Lewis Hall (or indeed either or both of the two clubs), you can understand why Eddie Howe may not be at liberty to say.

The Telegraph have now shed some light on the Lewis Hall situation, reporting:

‘Sources have maintained Newcastle will have to sign Hall in the summer and pay the money Chelsea desperately need, but as long as the criteria for that obligation to happen remain unfulfilled, doubts exist.

It leads to the obvious question: has Howe, conscious of the fact PSR will also be an issue for Newcastle again this summer, refused to play Hall as he does not want appearance clauses to kick in as the money can be better spent elsewhere when the window opens? It is possible, although that has been denied by sources.

It is also thought Newcastle’s league position in May will be relevant. There have been suggestions that Newcastle will not confirm Hall is signing permanently until they are mathematically safe from relegation.

That seems an inevitability, although there have also been, as yet unfounded claims, that Newcastle have to finish above a certain league position rather than just avoid relegation. Again, this has not been confirmed or denied.’

‘Chelsea would not get anything like £28 million for him now, given how little he has played at Newcastle this season.

As Howe has talked positively about Hall and his future at the club, there is no doubt signing him was a mistake. Newcastle needed first team-ready players last summer and have committed to spending a chunk of this summer’s budget on a player who could not get into the side, even when there were no other fit players who specialised in that position available.’

Not long now to wait until we find out this summer whether Lewis Hall will indeed be at Newcastle United as a permanent signing.

My take on it is that I do think Lewis Hall has a lot of talent and could develop into a very good player, however, if indeed the transfer fee would be £28m as part of what has been agreed in this loan deal, then that looks expensive on what he has achieved so far.

One thing we do absolutely know, is that Lewis Hall will NOT be playing on Monday night, though no doubt many of you are saying that could apply to pretty much any match! Especially now Newcastle are getting players back from injury.

The reason we know for sure of course, is that at least for now, Chelsea still hold the 19 year old’s registration and he can’t play against them for his loan club.