Manchester United have reportedly abandoned their summer pursuit of Newcastle defender Lewis Hall, according to The Athletic. The Red Devils are cautious about spending significant sums before Tuesday's deadline and are at present ruling out spending the kind of money required to convince Newcastle into offloading the 21-year-old.
Hall's rise at Newcastle
Hall left Chelsea to join Newcastle in search of regular playing time, following an initial loan move, in 2024. Since then, he has established himself as one of the most sought-after left-backs in English football. Also comfortable operating in midfield, Hall's versatility has proven invaluable over his three seasons in the north east, and he played a key role in the Magpies' historic Carabao Cup triumph last year.
Hall continued his outstanding run of form into last season, though there was surprise when he missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's 26-man squad for England's World Cup campaign. Despite that, the full-back has remained firmly in the thoughts of the Premier League's elite, with Manchester United known to have been tracking his progress for some time.
United's alternatives
Hall quickly emerged as United's primary focus at left-back, with recent reports indicating that the player himself would be keen on swapping St James' Park for Old Trafford. The departure of Eddie Howe, who shares an agent with the defender, only fuelled these rumours. However, Newcastle's hierarchy have remained adamant that Hall would not be sold for anything other than an astronomical fee, with the England international deemed one of the squad's untouchables.
It is claimed a loan move for an alternative target may be the best option for United, with Barcelona's Alejandro Balde named as a potential temporary solution until next summer. Fulham's Antonee Robinson and Racing Santander's Jorge Salinas have also been linked as possible plan Bs as United look to bring in support and competition for Luke Shaw. Hall still has three years remaining on his current contract with Newcastle.
United's summer business
United have already strengthened their midfield by signing Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively last month, while bringing in back-up for Senne Lammens in the shape of free agent Karl Darlow. Michael Carrick's side have also agreed a £70million deal for Brighton's Carlos Baleba, with the midfielder given permission to undergo a medical ahead of a proposed move to Old Trafford.
After Newcastle's 2-2 draw with Liverpool, Matthias Jaissle was put on the spot about the speculation surrounding Hall by Manchester United legend Peter Schmeichel, who said: 'We're after your left-back!' The newly appointed Newcastle manager responded emphatically: 'No chance! No chance!', during their exchange on Viaplay.
In a separate interview with Sky Sports, Jaissle confirmed that Newcastle were still working on squad adjustments in the final few days of the transfer window. 'I would love to answer that with a clear number, but it's depending also if players are leaving as well,' he said. 'For sure, there will be adjustments made, the needs are clear. The management knows about the needs and we are all aligned. We will use the remaining time in the best possible way, but also we trust the players who are already here.'
