Eddie Howe’s record when it comes to Newcastle United signings is pretty impressive.
The Newcastle United manager has barely made a mistake when it comes to bringing players to St James’ Park, even if the Magpies’ previous transfer strategy was criticised by sporting director Paul Mitchell.
But Eddie Howe defended the signings he made, and rightly so. Pretty much every senior player he has brought to the club has had a positive impact, even if some of them took longer to settle than others.
Lewis Hall has taken time to settle at Newcastle United
Lewis Hall is a player who took longer to settle than others, but he has certainly settled now.
He is arguably Newcastle United’s player of the season so far, and his performances have earned him a place in the England squad.
The 20-year-old left-back is playing incredibly well, and has excelled up against top level attackers like Bukayo Saka and Bernardo Silva. Alan Shearer said Hall was ‘outstanding’ against Arsenal, as he picked up the player of the match award in an impressive 1-0 win at St James’ Park.
No one is questioning the decision to bring Hall to Newcastle now, but that was not the case last season when he was still settling in.
Newcastle signed Hall on loan, with the deal including an obligation to buy him for £28million. At the start, he was pure potential, and was not showing signs of becoming a £28million player.
What Eddie Howe has privately said about Lewis Hall transfer fee
However, Howe and Jason Tindall had faith, and actually believe he will go on to be worth more than what they paid.
According to the Daily Mail, Howe and Tindall have privately said that they think the deal to sign Hall will eventually look cheap.
That was at a time when Hall was barely playing for the Magpies, having been unable to earn the trust of the manager – even when Newcastle were enduring an injury crisis and barely had any options.
Newcastle United will continue to invest in their future
Now Hall is a regular for Newcastle United, and is well on his way to proving Howe and Tindall right.
Newcastle invested in their future when they spent £60million on Hall and Tino Livramento, and it is already proving to be a masterstroke.
The Magpies bought players with potential, knowing they could nurture them and help them to develop to the point they would become even more valuable.
On the face of it, it is a risky strategy. It puts coaches under real pressure to improve players. However, it is less of a risk when you have Eddie Howe calling the shots, a man who has elevated the game of so many players since becoming Newcastle United manager.
Not only will Hall eventually look cheap at £28million, he will also save Newcastle even more money. At 20-years-old, he could be the Magpies’ main left-back for at least the next decade.
If he continues to improve, he really will prove to be a bargain.
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