Chelsea told to re-sign £50m star as Marc Cucurella replacement

Chelsea are pursuing several targets in this summer’s transfer market (Picture: Getty)

Former Chelsea star Shaun Wright-Phillips has encouraged the club to pursue a move for Lewis Hall, picking out the Newcastle defender as a ‘fantastic’ replacement for Marc Cucurella.

Hall has established himself as one of the most highly sought-after left-backs in Premier League football since completing a £35million transfer from Chelsea to Newcastle – following an initial loan move – in 2024.

Also comfortable playing in midfield, Hall’s versatility has proven invaluable over the course of his three seasons at St James’ Park and he played an integral role in the Magpies’ historic Carabao Cup triumph last year.

The 21-year-old continued his outstanding run of form into last season and there was some surprise as he missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad for England’s World Cup campaign this summer.

But while Tuchel opted to overlook Hall, it’s understood the full-back remains front and centre of the thoughts of the Premier League’s elite – and Manchester United have been credited with a strong interest for some time.

Chelsea have also been tentatively linked with the player they sold only two years ago, with Cucurella’s recent departure for Real Madrid only intensifying these rumours in recent weeks.

Speaking to Jackpot City Casino, Wright-Phillips named Hall as perhaps the most ‘suitable’ option to come in and succeed the Spanish World Cup winner.

Cucurella left Chelsea to join Real Madrid last month (Picture: Dave Shopland/Shutterstock)

Hall would be a ‘fantastic’ successor to Cucurella, says Wright-Phillips (Picture: Getty)

‘Cucurella I think is a massive loss,’ the former Chelsea, Manchester City and England winger said.

‘I think he’s a fantastic player, not only from his performance in the World Cup, but since he found his feet at Chelsea.

‘He was at a club that was in many ways in disarray, they didn’t know where they were going or what direction they were heading.

Hall left Chelsea to join Newcastle just two years ago (Picture: Getty)

‘As soon as they got a manager in place that had a tactical side to him, you saw the good Cucurella they bought. For me, he’s just grown since that moment.

‘To lose somebody of that magnitude will, of course, affect that defence. But it’s Chelsea, people move on and clubs like that have to figure out a way to find a suitable enough player that does just as good a job.’

Wright labelled Hall a ‘great’ talent and backed the Newcastle full-back to go on and enjoy a ‘superb’ career, as long as he manages to keep himself largely injury-free.

Hall has made 102 appearances for the Magpies (Picture: Getty)

‘Lewis Hall would be a fantastic replacement for Chelsea,’ he added.

‘I think he’s a great player.

‘I was one of the ones who was shocked that he wasn’t playing in the World Cup, to be honest with you. But that will give him a little bit of grit between the teeth as well.

‘As long as he can stay fit, he’s got a superb career in front of him.’

Newcastle are reportedly demanding a fee north of £50m for Hall (Picture: Getty)

According to The Athletic, it would likely require an offer in excess of £50million to prise Hall away from St James’ Park this summer.

Considering they signed Hall for a fee of just £28m, the Toon stand to make a tidy profit on the England international.

‘Lewis Hall is currently one of the best left-backs in world football,’ ex-Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp told BetVictor as last season drew to a close.Ex-Chelsea forward Joe Cole, meanwhile, has grown tired and frustrated with Stamford Bridge bosses repeatedly allowing players like Hall and Marc Guehi to slip through their fingers in recent years.

The Toon signed Hall for Chelsea for £28m (Picture: Getty)

‘The fans are not happy [with the owners],’ Cole said on The Dressing Room podcast.

‘Since the takeover, they’ve spent £1.5bn and they’ve posted massive losses.

‘They are four years into a five-year plan. It looks like, barring a miracle, they will be out of the Champions League. We need to talk about the strategy, the plan and where the club is going.

‘This model of buy young, develop, and put value on. I thought to myself it sounds like buy and sell.

‘Buy loads of players at 21, they will come into their prime at 25, and the average age of a Premier League-winning side is 27. Logically, buy them at 21, 22 or 23.

‘Seven-year deals, average age, develop, by the time they are 27, but it seems too data-driven, structured, without the nuance of having senior players, how important that is, the culture, getting fans onside.

‘We’re coming up to the fourth year of the masterplan. For all of the chaos of Roman Abramovich’s exit, the plan was always clear.

‘Buy the best players, get the best managers, win every trophy. If they lose games, managers were gone, players were gone, and everyone knew what was going to happen.

‘Clearlake have come in and gone, this is too structured, we’re going to try a new long-term plan. The first alarm bell to me is the number of managers sacked.