Newcastle United have agreed a deal worth an initial fee of around £28million for Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall, according to The Telegraph.
Hall has played for the Blues’ first-team on just 12 occasions but he has impressed in his limited minutes for the club. The talented left-back has the potential to invert into midfield when his side are in possession, offering numerical superiority in central areas to help with controlling games.
That kind of elite potential has clearly been recognised by the Magpies, who are willing to pay a fairly hefty fee for the 18-year-old considering his limited experience. The deal for the England Under-21 international, which is claimed to have the potential to go higher than £28million in the future, comes just weeks after Mauricio Pochettino’s side had offered the player a new six-year contract at Stamford Bridge.
But the Blues have spent heavily during Todd Boehly’s time as owner, splashing in excess of £800million since the American billionaire arrived in west London a little over 15 months ago. Ecuadorian international Moises Caicedo was signed from Brighton & Hove Albion earlier this week for a Premier League-record £115million.
Meanwhile, another young midfielder that is close to joining Chelsea is Romeo Lavia of Southampton. football.london understands that a medical has been arranged for the 19-year-old in a deal that could rise to £58million with add-ons. He is likely to be joined by Crystal Palace starlet Michael Olise after the Blues activated the 21-year-old’s £35million release clause.
Talks are ongoing in order to finalise the Frenchman’s move from Selhurst Park, although he currently remains sidelined with a hamstring issue.