Arsenal and Chelsea Lead Race for Newcastle's Lewis Hall

Arsenal are among a host of top European clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester City, and Real Madrid, who are interested in signing Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall this summer, according to reports. The Gunners are said to be considering the 20-year-old left-back as a potential replacement, should academy graduate Myles Lewis-Skelly be sold to help the club meet Profit and Sustainability Rules.

According to reports from CaughtOffside, Arsenal and Chelsea are currently leading the race for the 20-year-old England international. Hall has been a standout performer for Newcastle this season, earning high praise from teammates, and is expected to be named in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup. His impressive form has attracted widespread interest, though Newcastle have no desire to sell a player they see as central to their long-term project.

Newcastle are under no pressure to sell, with Hall under contract for another three years. It would take an extraordinary offer, likely to be in the region of £60 million, to even make the Magpies consider a sale. The club's hierarchy sees Hall, who has started 19 of Newcastle's last 21 Premier League games, as a cornerstone of their future.

Hall's career began at Chelsea, where he progressed through the academy before joining Newcastle on an initial loan deal that was made permanent in the summer of 2024. His development at St. James' Park has been rapid, with his performances against elite opposition, including a strong showing against Barcelona's Lamine Yamal in the Champions League, marking him as one of the most promising full-backs in Europe. Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes recently hailed the defender as one of the best in the world in his position.

For Arsenal, the potential move is seen as a contingency plan. The club is reportedly open to offers for homegrown talent Myles Lewis-Skelly, whose sale would represent pure profit for the club's Financial Fair Play calculations. While Arsenal have other left-back options, including the on-loan Piero Hincapie and Riccardo Calafiori, Hall is viewed as a significant upgrade and a potential long-term solution. Chelsea are also in the market for a left-back, with Marc Cucurella's future uncertain, and see the player they once sold as an ideal solution.

Any deal for Hall would be complex and expensive, requiring a fee that could approach the premium paid for top English talent. For Newcastle, the substantial funds could be reinvested, but they would be losing a key player they had built around. For Arsenal or Chelsea, securing Hall would represent a major coup and a statement of intent, adding a dynamic, homegrown talent to their defensive ranks for the next decade.