Newcastle United and Eddie Howe are choosing to ignore the criticism of the signing and instead have complete faith that Chelsea loanee Lewis Hall can develop into a top player at St James’ Park.
Newcastle negotiated around Hall’s fee in the summer by signing him on loan from Chelsea with an obligation to buy for an initial £28m, though it could rise to £35m.
Despite playing just 218 minutes, The Athletic are reporting that Newcastle staff are very happy with Hall and have complete faith in the 19-year-old to develop into a star player for the team in future.
Hall’s versatility could be key for Newcastle
One thing Newcastle could do with right now is versatile players to cover for all of the injuries in the squad. Kieran Trippier, for example, is likely to fill in at left-back against Chelsea given that the three left-sided defenders at the club are all unavailable.
Hall can play a key role in the future with his versatility – the youngster can play down the left, in midfield where he is more used to playing for Chelsea’ academy, or further wide in a more attacking position.
Though the staff are yet to see the true extent of his abilities in the short time that he has featured in Newcastle’s first-team, they have faith that Hall will be able to develop into a regular starter in the years to come after making his move from Chelsea permanent.
His performance against Manchester United in the Carabao Cup tells you everything you need to know about his potential, but it is down to Howe and his team to unlock it.
Hall is a long-term investment
There has been a lot of criticism regarding the transfer strategy at the club due to the sheer number of injuries that the team has suffered, but this kind of crisis could not have been foreseen by anyone.
When both Hall and Tino Livramento were brought to the club, the expectation was that they would be able to grow and develop under Trippier and Dan Burn, but injuries have prevented Eddie Howe from introducing them into the squad in his own way.
Though they can see the potential, fans have been left frustrated with the lack of a ready-made product being brought in during the summer window, but people have to remember that this structure is built for a long-term project.
From what supporters have seen of Hall and Tino already, the pair have the ability to be starting full-backs at Newcastle for the next decade, they just need everyone to be patient with their development.
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