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Manchester United are said to be eyeing a move for Newcastle United left back Lewis Hall, who is viewed as the long-term replacement for Old Trafford veteran Luke Shaw.
The 21-year-old has had an impressive season for the club he supported as a child, earning a place in Thomas Tuchel's preliminary England squad ahead of the World Cup. Shaw was left out of that 35-man selection and could soon face a challenge from Hall at club level as well as on the international stage.
Hall is among the names on United's shortlist ahead of a summer transfer window expected to bring significant changes, according to Sky Sports News. While central midfield and left wing are obvious areas requiring attention, left back is another position that is in urgent need of strengthening.
The historically injury-prone Shaw has featured in every Premier League fixture this season, an appearance record that is completely at odds with his medical history and one that has undoubtedly been helped by United's lightest fixture schedule in over a century. The calendar is set to expand with some form of European competition next season, giving the Red Devils the financial means to manage the increased demands on Shaw.
Hall represents a compelling target, though the process of actually securing his signature could prove complicated.
Why Man Utd Want to Sign Lewis Hall
Hall was acquired by Newcastle from Chelsea in 2024 as a teenager for a substantial fee that could reach as much as $46.8 million (£35 million). At that point, the Blues academy product had accumulated fewer than 1,000 minutes for the first team. Yet, nearly two years on, Magpies manager Eddie Howe was fully justified in calling the deal "a smart piece of business."
"He had a difficult first year, he had to show real mental strength and patience, and he has been rewarded for taking his opportunity in the team," Howe said earlier this month. "He is currently playing the best football of his career. He has a number of qualities that many players in his position simply don't possess, and that is what makes him stand out."
Those qualities are evident at both ends of the pitch. The attacking fullback has been let down by his teammates in terms of his assist tally, which sits at just two across all competitions despite him creating 40 chances for those around him.
In a Newcastle side that deploys an inverted left winger—very much the system Michael Carrick has implemented at Manchester United—Hall excels under the responsibility of providing the width down that flank alone, using his low center of gravity to navigate through challenges and deliver the ball into the box.
It isn't only attacking contributions that Hall offers. Equipped with a combination of energy and technical ability, few fullbacks in the league win the ball back as regularly as the recognizable strawberry blonde figure patrolling Newcastle's left flank. This much-improved defensive aspect of his game was developed through dedicated individual sessions on the training ground with Magpies assistant Jason Tindall. The tongue-in-cheek nickname "The Slough Maldini" hasn't quite caught on.
Shaw once had a very similar profile to Hall when he arrived at United in 2014, before injuries took a heavy toll on his natural physical attributes. The resilient defender has reshaped his game to become a dependable presence in United's back line, but there is considerably less dynamism to his play these days. Since being reinstated at left back in a four-man defense by Carrick, Shaw has created just two chances in 10 appearances.
Setting Shaw's limitations aside, United are expected to release Tyrell Malacia when his contract expires in the summer, opening up another squad spot that Hall could fill ideally.
Why Man Utd May Struggle to Sign Hall
Newcastle are reluctant to sell at the best of times—as Liverpool found out during last summer's drawn-out Alexander Isak saga. Given that United are already linked with two other Magpies players, the midfield pair of Sandro Tonali and Bruno Guimarães, news of this interest in Hall will not be welcomed at St. James' Park.
Howe made little effort to conceal his frustration when confronted with the reports surrounding Guimarães earlier this month. After threatening to decline to answer the question altogether, the English manager dismissed it as "nonsense" and "disrespectful."
Much like his teammates, Hall did not come to Newcastle at a bargain price. Only two English left backs in the history of the game have ever commanded a higher fee than the former Chelsea man: Ben Chilwell and, notably, Shaw himself. Should United attempt to lure him away from St. James' Park, they may well need to set a new record transfer fee for the position.
Whether Hall himself would be receptive to such a move is an entirely separate question.
Despite being raised in Slough, Hall grew up supporting Newcastle thanks to his father and uncle being from the North East. "I'm very proud," he said after joining the club initially on loan in 2023. "Me and my family are Newcastle fans, and for me and my brother growing up, it was drilled into us that we were Newcastle."
United will naturally have a number of alternatives to Hall in mind. Eintracht Frankfurt's dynamic fullback Nathaniel Brown is one name that has been mentioned, though competition for his signature will be strong. Nevertheless, Hall is regarded as a primary target—and for very good reason.