Liverpool are ‘closely monitoring’ Lewis Hall’s situation at Newcastle United but they’ll need to break the bank AND the Magpies’ resolve to land him .
The 21 year old has been nothing short of sensational this season, with his performance against Barcelona in the Champions League described as a ‘coming of age’ display . He shackled Lamine Yamal for 90 minutes, then followed it up with ‘another Rolls Royce showing’ at Chelsea .
Now the vultures are circling.
THE INTEREST
According to CaughtOffside, scouts from Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester City, RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund and several La Liga clubs have been watching Hall closely . No official bids yet, but the interest is real.
For Liverpool, he’d be the ideal long term replacement for Andy Robertson, who turns 32 next week and has just 18 months left on his contract . For Arsenal, he’d add homegrown quality to a defence already packed with talent. For City, he’d be an upgrade on Rayan Ait Nouri .
THE NEWCASTLE STANCE
Here’s the problem, Newcastle are NOT selling.
Eddie Howe considers Hall a “cornerstone” of his project at St James’ Park . The club are preparing a new long term contract with a significant pay rise to tie him down beyond his current 2029 deal .
Howe was typically cautious when asked about Hall’s future: “We hope that he can continue to stay here for a long time. He’s probably one of those players I’d say is playing his best football currently. I think there’s loads more to come from him” .
THE PRICE TAG
If Newcastle were ever tempted to sell, it’d take £65/70m to even bring them to the table . That’s nearly triple the £28m they’ll pay Chelsea when his loan becomes permanent .
For a 21 year old with two England caps and his best years ahead of him, that’s the going rate.
THE NUMBERS
Hall has made 94 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions, with three goals and three assists . This season alone: 38 games, three goals, and a 7.09 FotMob rating in the Premier League .
He wins 59.2% of his duels, completes 85.9% of his passes, and is improving every week under Howe’s tutelage .
THE VERDICT
Liverpool need a left back. Hall is the best young option in the country. But Newcastle have the upper hand, long contract, no pressure to sell, and a manager who’s built his defence around him.
If the Reds are serious, they’ll need Champions League football AND a nine figure budget. Even then, it might not be enough.
