Throughout the course of the recent summer transfer window, one rumour that refused to go away was regarding Manchester United’s interest in signing Lewis Hall from Newcastle United.
The left-back position is one that Man Utd have needed to take care of for a long time now. And it is not hard to see why they might view Hall as the solution to their problem both in the short and long run.
That being said, signing Hall from Newcastle United is not going to be simple. The Magpies were able to keep him this summer, despite clear interest from Man Utd.
But if some insider information is to be believed, then Manchester United might not have pushed for a deal to go through this summer, even though they are expected to come back for Hall in the future. But why?
Why Man Utd pulled out of trying to sign Lewis Hall this summer
According to Football Insider, former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown said regarding the situation involving Hall:
“I understand they have been looking long-term about who they will bring in to replace Shaw, and I can see why Lewis Hall is the outstanding candidate in that respect.
“But when I say long-term, I mean it’s something I would expect to see next summer or even beyond that, I’m not convinced it was something they were pushing for this summer.
“I’ve heard they pulled the plug on that, because if he was at Old Trafford next week, either him or Shaw are going to be disappointed because they’re not in the team.
“So then over the course of the season, you end up with at least one unhappy player, and that can become a big concern down the line.
“Ultimately, it would cause more problems than it’s worth at this stage, because they’re pretty happy going into the season with Shaw still the first choice in that position.
“Newcastle weren’t going to be easy to buy from either, because of the other players they’d lost, so the value wasn’t really there for Hall, but that could change in a year’s time.”
Of course, it remains to be seen if that is accurate or not. But considering that Brown was the club’s chief scout, one would imagine that he would have some strong connections inside Old Trafford.
Even if that is true, it is safe to say that Newcastle United are doing everything possible to ensure that Hall remains in place at St James’ Park for the foreseeable future.
Hall looks set to sign new deal with Newcastle United
It is believed that Hall is on the verge of signing an extension with the club on terms that are significantly better and will run for the next five years.
Now, it is hard to imagine that Newcastle United would hand a long-term extension to Hall, for the next five years, if they were planning to let him leave a year later.
The idea of letting Hall go just does not feel right at this point in time. The club have clearly taken a youth-first approach starting this summer.
Most of the players who have been signed are in their late teens or early 20s. So, the idea is to build a team that would be viable some years down the line, even if it takes them some time to find their feet.
And when it comes to players like that, there are few better than Hall in the entire Premier League. So, why would you consider letting him go anytime soon?
