Summary Newcastle United's deal to sign Lewis Hall is cheaper than expected. The Blues had initially only wanted to loan the youngster. Hall is a boyhood Magpies fan and preferred a permanent move.
Newcastle United are set to strengthen their left-back options this summer with a deal for Lewis Hall, according to reports, as Eddie Howe looks to build a side capable of competing on all fronts.
So far, the Magpies have welcomed four new arrivals in the current transfer window, and a new report has revealed exactly how much Hall is going to cost versus Chelsea's initial demands.
How much will Lewis Hall actually cost?
A boyhood fan of the club, Newcastle were expected to make an offer in the region of £30m to sign Chelsea academy graduate Lewis Hall, according to Sky Sports.
However, The Telegraph reporter Sam Wallace has now revealed a deal has been reached at £28m after a breakthrough in negotiations.
"Chelsea and Newcastle reach agreement on a fee for teenager Lewis Hall, understood to be around £28m initially. Sudden change of strategy after major spending this week by Chelsea."
According to David Ornstein of The Athletic, the London club initially valued their academy graduate at £35m, so it really looks like PIF have pulled a masterclass.
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Eddie Howe said last week, via Sky Sports: "We're hoping for one more [signing], no guarantee, but we will fight to the end to strengthen. We are getting there. Every transfer window we have got stronger."
With that said, that signing now looks set to be one of Cobham's most promising talents, who is also a boyhood Magpies fans.
An added bonus for the Tynesiders is that the left-back's wage is reportedly just £10k per-week, making him a cheap option on that side of things even if there's a likely spike on those numbers.
Is Lewis Hall actually that good?
Looking at Newcastle's current squad, there's not many areas that Howe could strengthen. In fact, it could be said that the left-back area is the only position that could use some extra depth. As things stand, the Magpies call on Dan Burn to play the role, and, to his credit, he did an adequate job last season to help his side qualify for the Champions League.
Statistically speaking, though, Hall would be a bif upgrade on the giant fullback. Last season, according to Fbref, the Chelsea youngster made more progressive passes per 90, more progressive carries, enjoyed a better pass completion rate and completed more tackles and interceptions than Burn. Every way you look at it, Hall looks like a better option for Howe's side.
Following his rise at Stamford Bridge, the 18-year-old has received plenty of praise, too, including from former manager Frank Lampard, who said, via The Metro, after his performance against Manchester City back in May: "He’s a good player Lewis, he’s a good player and I thought he did really well. We certainly rate him."
Lampard then went onto say: "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."
With Burn still capable of playing regularly and taking the pressure off the youngster to immediately hit the ground running, this looks like one of the signings of the summer.