Who is Lewis Hall? Liverpool, Man City and Arsenal chasing $92M transfer

Liverpool is among the clubs credited with transfer interest in Lewis Hall. At 21, the Newcastle United full-back has already had an interesting career to date.

Liverpool, Arsenal and Man City have all been linked with a transfer for Lewis Hall. (Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Newcastle will have to brace for keen transfer interest in Lewis Hall this summer. Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester City are all being linked with a move for the young defender.

According to Caught Offside, the Reds are among the sides to have been "closely monitoring" Hall, although they would have to stump up in the region of $92 million to tempt the Magpies into a reluctant sale. After the Alexander Isak deal last summer, you wouldn't necessarily write that off as impossible, although Arne Slot will need to salvage Champions League qualification if Liverpool is to have that kind of money to spend.

Perhaps more saliently, Liverpool already added Milos Kerkez last summer, and he has settled into life at Anfield after a rocky start. Hall is a fellow left-back by trade, so perhaps Arsenal and Man City may prove to be more realistic suitors.

Having said that, Andy Robertson is out of contract in the summer. And while neither Hall nor Kerkez would relish the prospect of being second choice, Liverpool's primary goal is top-class depth in all positions.

But let's take a step back for a moment. Who exactly is Hall, and why are top clubs circling?

The 21-year-old arrived at St James' Park by way of the Chelsea academy. Born in Slough, he was spotted by the West London club at the age of eight, where he progressed all the way through the ranks. Having featured in multiple positions including center-midfield as he came through the youth system, he eventually settled in at left-back.

It's easy to forget now, but Hall got as far as making nine Premier League appearances for Chelsea in the 2022/23 season. Making his initial breakthrough under Graham Potter, he then saw out the season as the starting left-back under Frank Lampard.

Lewis Hall made his initial breakthrough at Chelsea. (Image: Ryan Pierse/Getty Images)

Funnily enough, his final game was a full 90 minutes against Newcastle. Not long after that, he was making a loan switch to St James' Park, with an obligation to buy for around $37 million.

Hall was a boyhood Newcastle fan, so it was a dream move for him. Yet this was the most testing time of his young career to date, with his first league start not arriving until April.

There were apparent similarities to the current Harvey Elliott situation; the obligation to buy was tied to performance criteria, and Eddie Howe did not seem to have taken to his newest addition. Yet something must have changed behind the scenes, and Hall managed to end the season as the first-choice left-back.

The situations differed in any case: it was reported at the time that Hall's transfer was tied to Newcastle's league performance, not the player's individual contributions. That made it all the more damning that he wasn't playing, and all the more impressive that he turned it around.

A permanent deal was duly completed, and Hall has not looked back. He made 27 Premier League appearances last season, registering five assists, and has every reason to be hopeful that he might be able to add to his two England appearances at this summer's World Cup.

The current campaign has brought another 23 league appearances, yielding a goal and assist. He's also been a regular in the Champions League, and his performance against Barcelona in the first leg will surely have caught the eye of his apparent suitors.

Hall held his own against Lamine Yamal in the first leg against Barcelona.(Image: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

If Mikel Arteta ever fancies daring to move away from his four center-backs approach at Arsenal, Hall would be a natural candidate, with promising attacking insincts combined with a diligent sense of his defensive duties. For much the same reasons, it's not too hard to believe Liverpool has at least monitored him in the past, with an eye on a long-term Robertson heir.

All the big clubs would also benefit from Hall's background at Chelsea. Not only does it qualify him as homegrown, it also means he has been drilled in a particular brand of football from a young age.

But Newcastle is aspiring to join that elite set of clubs, and Howe does not want to lose Hall. The left-back is already contracted until 2029, and the Magpies are said to be preparing an extended deal on better terms.

Given the presence of Kerkez, it is hard to see Liverpool getting involved in what would be a complicated transfer battle, with the question of Robertson's successor seemingly more or less settled. But Hall's recent rise has been steep, and it's no surprise that he is starting to attract serious attention.