Newcastle United were eliminated from the Champions League by Barcelona in the round of 16, after an 8-3 aggregate scoreline and risk not playing in the competition next season owing to their form in the Premier League.
If they miss out on a berth in the European Cup for next year, a number of key players are likely to want to leave the club and some of England’s biggest sides are already keeping tabs on prospective summer signings.
Football Insider has reported that Arsenal and Chelsea are prepared to battle it out over the signing of Newcastle’s left back Lewis Hall, who is valued at £30 million on Transfermarkt, and has had a very good campaign with the Magpies.
Chelsea may be favourites for Hall
Arsenal could part ways with Riccardo Calafiori during the summer transfer window, but with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Piero Hincapie at their disposal, it remains to be seen how much of a priority Lewis Hall is for them.
Chelsea, however, could fancy acquiring the defender as there is no strong competition for Marc Cucurella’s place, and the Spaniard also recently cast doubts on his future by revealing that a return to Barcelona might be difficult to turn down.
With that said, Hall promises to be a solid signing for either of the London rivals, thanks to his robust tactical understanding of the game with and without the ball, excellent work-rate and contribution on both ends of the pitch.
Hall has been credited for driving the ball forward, making accurate crosses into the box and also doing well as an inverted full back to keep possession of the ball. When not in possession, his aerial prowess, physicality and tackling stand out.
The 21-year-old could prove to be a bargain if his suitors can acquire him during the summer, especially as he is proven in the Premier League and has a lengthy career under his belt.
