Crystal Palace face competition from Newcastle to sign Chelsea defender Lewis Hall

Newcastle United have emerged as one of the contenders to sign Chelsea youngster Lewis Hall.

The teenage defender broke into a struggling Chelsea team at the end of last season and was one of the few bright sparks as the Blues slipped to a 12th place finish.

Hall is viewed as a bright young talent in the Chelsea set-up and he has been heavily linked with a loan move to join Crystal Palace, where he would gain further first team exposure under the management of Roy Hodgson.

But what is the latest on Lewis Hall’s Chelsea future and who is leading the race to sign the youngster?

Here is everything you need to know.

Who is Lewis Hall?

Lewis Hall is an 18-year-old footballer who currently plays in the Premier League for Chelsea.

Hall has been a member of the Chelsea academy since he was eight years old and he helped Chelsea win the Under-18 Premier League Cup in 2021/22, whilst featuring in a variety of different positions such as left back, left wing and central midfield.

The youngster has represented England at every age group from under 15 upwards, although he is yet to be capped at senior level.

Hall’s impressive form at youth level caught the attention of former Chelsea manager Graham Potter who gave him his first Premier League start in a 1-0 defeat to Newcastle.

Hall continued to feature regularly in the first team under Frank Lampard and he finished the season with a total of 11 appearances - whilst being awarded the club’s Academy Player of the Year.

Is Lewis Hall leaving Chelsea?

Lewis Hall is tipped to have a bright future in football and he is expected to sign a new six year contract with Chelsea.

However, Hall’s status in the first team is uncertain and the defender is likely to face competition from Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucurella and Ian Maatsen at left back, which could prompt the Blues to send him out on loan.

Crystal Palace were seen as the most likely destination for Hall and Roy Hodgson is keen to bolster his squad ahead of the new season.

But the Eagles could face competition from Newcastle United who are also determined to strengthen their depth as they cope with the demands of European football. The Magpies have also been linked with Kieran Tierney from Arsenal.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has openly spoken of his desire to sign one more player but admitted that his team would need to be creative to abide by Financial Fair Play regulations.

Howe said: “Personally, I’d love one more player and then I think we’d have the ideal depth at this moment with the injuries we currently have. But let’s wait and see. I think we may have to be creative with this last player. It’s difficult to make that a definite because again it would depend on injuries between now and the window shutting.”