Despite a lack of first-team experience, Lewis Hall is ‘coming closer’ to completing a permanent move to Newcastle.
Hall joined Newcastle on a season-long loan from Premier League rivals Chelsea, with a buyout clause of £28 million dependent on performance conditions. The left-back was on the verge of joining Crystal Palace on loan before the Magpies stepped in.
While the performance-related conditions have yet to be met, head coach Eddie Howe stated, “He’s getting closer [to triggering the clause] with each game.” While I’m not on top of it every day, I’m confident he’s near.”
Since the start of his loan spell, the 19-year-old has only made one Premier League start for Newcastle, and he has only played more than 45 minutes once, in a 3-0 Carabao Cup triumph over Manchester United in which he scored. Hall has been an unused substitute for Newcastle in their previous five games.
When asked if Newcastle can afford to pay nearly £30 million for a player who isn’t currently in the starting lineup, Howe responded: “He is close the first team. I believe that from a broader perspective, each transfer we make is critical.
“We don’t have a limitless supply of money to spend, and financial fair play will limit us not only today but in the future. As a result, we must strive to make each decision correctly.
“And you are never going to do that in the transfer market. There will always be mistakes. So I am not really speaking about Lewis here, I am speaking generally about every transfer we bring in.”
