Lewis Hall has been on fire for Newcastle United in the last few weeks, and both Gary Lineker and Micah Richards’ comments prove that Chelsea made a mistake letting him go.
Ever since Todd Boehly and Clearlake arrived at Chelsea as the club’s new owners, the transfer market has been used as a business. Buying plenty of players and selling them to allow Chelsea to go and spend big.
Last summer, Chelsea spent a whopping £300m on 10 new signings. But actually, Chelsea raked in more than that by selling the likes of Christopher Nkunku, Noni Madueke, and plenty more during the summer.
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It’s the same in previous summer windows under Boehly’s stewardship, and one casualty was the loan of Lewis Hall to Newcastle United. He initially went on loan in 2023, which included a £35m obligation.
Gary Lineker and Micah Richards rave about Lewis Hall
While Chelsea could only manage a home draw against Burnley, a disappointing result that sees Chelsea lose pace in the race to qualify for the Champions League, Newcastle came close to halting Man City.
Man City’s narrow 2-1 win over Newcastle saw Nico O’Reilly score a brace, but Hall got himself on the score sheet too. Speaking on The Rest Is Football, both Gary Lineker and Micah Richards praised Hall.
Lewis Hall of Newcastle
Photo by Marcel Bonte/Soccrates/Getty Images
Richards said Hall is his choice to start as England’s left-back at the World Cup in the summer. Lineker began: “He’s good, you know. What a player. It’s not only defending, but he’s great going the other way.”
Richards continued, on Newcastle’s Hall: “It’s his decision-making when he’s defending. There was a moment in the game, someone came deep, maybe Haaland. He half committed to showing him one way.
“So he could then change his body if he got beaten. That is defending, he gets it. I love him. Talk about shoe-ins. He would be my starting left-back [at the World Cup for England]. Him and Nico O’Reilly.”
Chelsea’s deal to sell Hall, and would he start for Chelsea now?
Hall would only end up playing 12 times for Chelsea after making his breakthrough into the side under Mauricio Pochettino. At the end of the 2023-24 season, Newcastle landed Hall on a loan deal.
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Micah Richards would start him at the World Cup…
But such is the way that Boehly is running Chelsea upstairs, a £35m obligation was included in the loan deal. Completing that move, Hall has gone on to become one of England’s best left-sided defenders.
Worth far more than £35m now, selling Hall was a mistake, and the comments from Lineker and Richards prove it. Newcastle and England star Dan Burn thinks Hall is becoming one of the best in the world.
Would he start for Chelsea? Marc Cucurella is seen as one of the world’s best left-backs but Hall is much younger and would certainly give Cucurella a run for his money. It is unclear if there is a buyback clause
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