Former Premier League midfielder Danny Murphy has questioned why Newcastle United decided to commit so much money towards Lewis Hall last summer.
The Magpies agreed to sign Lewis Hall on loan from Chelsea, and the deal will become permanent at the end of the season for £28million. It is going to be a big investment from Newcastle, but it has actually been a very tough start for Hall on Tyneside.
The 19-year-old has only started one Premier League game for the club so far, with Hall limited to 11 appearances in all competitions.
There have been a lot of questions asked by fans about the Hall situation. Newcastle’s squad has been so stretched over the past couple of months, yet Eddie Howe has rarely turned to the teenager.
Now Newcastle need further reinforcements, and are struggling to get anyone in due to the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
That has led to questions from TalkSPORT pundit Danny Murphy, who does not understand why Newcastle agreed to spend so much money on someone they were not going to play.
Danny Murphy questions why Newcastle spent so much money on Lewis Hall
Murphy has been speaking about Newcastle’s deal for Lewis Hall on TalkSPORT.
“They’ve spent £30million on Lewis Hall from Chelsea,” he said.
“He’s a talented left-sided player. I like him. But he [Eddie Howe] doesn’t play him.
“So you’re using up a chunk of your budget there to go and get someone who you may want for two or three years down the line. He’s still playing Dan Burn and Livramento at left-back ahead of him. Why would you tie up £30million of your dough.
“They couldn’t have anticipated the injuries and the Tonali situation, but it does seem some of their business has been a little bit like…”
Simon Jordan then interrupted, saying: “Most of their business has been alright.”
Newcastle’s situation has made Hall deal look worse
On the face of it, Murphy makes a decent point. However, it does not tell the full story.
Hall was brought in as one for the future. The club believe he will be their long-term left-back. However, right now that position belongs to Dan Burn.
It is easy to forget that Hall barely has any senior experience. He was not a regular at Chelsea. He has purely been brought in because of his potential.
Sadly, his situation has been made to look worse by the amount of injuries Newcastle have had. That is why questions have been asked of Hall, as a player who is going to cost a huge amount of money is not even getting a kick when it is clear that Howe is desperate for bodies.
He even has Tino Livramento ahead of him at left-back, but that is more a reflection of the 21-year-old’s ability in that position. In the coming years, he will be on the right and Hall will move back up the pecking order.
Hopefully we see more of Hall in the second half of the season, but fans must remember that he is one for the future rather than the present. The amount of money spent on him looks ridiculous right now, but the club will have complete confidence that he will eventually prove to be worth the £28million investment.
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