da poker： This week, it was revealed by the Guardian that Newcastle is closing in on the signing of Tino Livramento from Southampton for around £30m.
da dobrowin： The 20-year-old is set to leave the recently-relegated Saints and follow in the footsteps of Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes in joining Eddie Howe’s revolution at Saint James Park.
Prior to Livramento’s move to the south coast, he was named Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Season in 2021 and the departure of this homegrown talent was bitterly disappointing for sections of the Stamford Bridge faithful.
This year, the next Cobham graduate to form a popular and esteemed reputation is Lewis Hall, who is also admired by the high-flying Magpies.
What’s the latest on Lewis Hall to Newcastle?
According to Simon Phillips (via The Chelsea Chronicle), Newcastle “have an interest” in signing the Chelsea youngster.
However, it is understood that any decision on Hall’s future will depend on what the player wants, plus the club hierarchy and Mauricio Pochettino.
Why do Newcastle want to sign Lewis Hall?
In what has been Chelsea’s most depressing year since the turn of the century, the unassuming and hardworking Hall has been one of the few positives.
Last season, the Englishman made 11 appearances for the senior team and each time he showcased his agility, composure, ball-playing ability, and defensive solidity.
This is mirrored through the 18-year-old’s rank within the top 17% in Europe’s top five leagues for shot-creating actions, successful take-ons, tackles, and interceptions per 90.
His quality has been recognised by Frank Lampard, who has backed the teen to have a prosperous future, saying: “In terms of quality on the ball, that’s really clear. In terms of quality, if you see him with the ball and the things he can do, he’s got the levels, he’s obviously got to add to that as he goes along.
"Another academy one that we’ve produced and it will be good to see him in regular games at this level to be tested more but he’s shown he can do that.”
It is perhaps even more impressive when you consider that the £7k-per-week prodigy has been playing in his unfavoured left-back position.
Last campaign, for Chelsea’s U21s, he played more games as a midfielder, but still displayed his shrewd adaptability, with eight goal involvements in 21 outings.
When talking about positions, he said: “I prefer playing as a number eight where I can go box to box but the last couple of years I’ve been playing on the left, whether it’s as wing-back or full-back.”
The 5 foot 10 gem has replicated Livramento’s achievements and was announced as Chelsea’s Academy Player of the Season for 2023.
This adaptability and glistening have drawn the attention of Newcastle, who are nearing a deal for Livramento, who when he was the Academy’s best product, was the top appearance maker across all competitions and recorded ten assists.
Hall, who has been described as “magnificent” by Micah Richards, still doesn’t have a clear pathway into Chelsea’s first team, as he still has to compete with Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella, and Ian Maatsen at left-back. Meanwhile, he is yet to regularly feature in midfield for the senior side, so that option seems far-fetched.
His future will largely depend on Pochettino’s plan, but Newcastle is definitely a possible alternative to unlock his limitless potential.