Chelsea sold 'best in the world' player - and now Xabi Alonso is paying the price
Chelsea have made a number of questionable transfer decisions over the past decade and selling Lewis Hall to Newcastle United is certainly up there.
The England international broke into the Chelsea first-team during the final few weeks of their dreadful 2022-23 campaign, after establishing himself as one of their best youth prospects during his time in the academy, and his exit was therefore a major surprise.
Hall was a standout performer during his short stint in the senior team, but he was eager to explore a move to Newcastle, the club his father supports, and an initial loan deal was soon finalised during the 2023 summer transfer window.
Despite making just eight Premier League starts across his loan spell at St James’ Park, Hall was signed on a permanent deal for €33 million and he has since established himself as one of the best full-backs in the English top flight.
The 22-year-old, who was described as “the best in the world” by former Newcastle team-mate Bruno Guimaraes last season, has played every available minute for the Magpies this term and he was named in the starting XI for England’s recent wins over Czechia and Croatia in the Nations League.
Xabi Alonso paying the price for Chelsea transfer decision
Hall’s loan move to Newcastle was announced 17 days after Marc Cucurella’s permanent transfer to Chelsea and it was clear that he wanted to pursue a move due to a perceived lack of a first-team pathway.
However, three years later, Chelsea were forced to dip back into the transfer market for a new left-back following Cucurella’s €55m transfer to Real Madrid.
They chose to sign Rayo Vallecano star Pep Chavarria upon the request of new manager Xabi Alonso and he has made a fairly indifferent start to his career at Stamford Bridge, having only started one Premier League match so far this season.
It’s far too early to make any sweeping statements about the decision to sign Chavarria, but it’s certainly clear that Hall is the better footballer and that Chelsea would be a better team if he was still at the club.
The England star is devastating on the overlap, his crossing ability is fantastic and he is an excellent one-vs-one defender out wide. He is the perfect modern-day full-back.
In addition, if Chelsea had kept Hall, the €19m they were forced to spend on Chavarria could’ve been saved for their last-minute pursuit of a new central midfielder to replace Enzo Fernandez.
The Blues wanted to sign AS Roma’s Manu Kone or AS Monaco’s Lamine Camara on Deadline Day and while a deal for the latter was agreed before the proposed transfer collapsed, an extra €19m to spend could have been vitally important. And it would’ve helped fix Chelsea’s biggest issue.
Alonso’s side have struggled immensely in the middle of the park so far this season and while their defensive frailty has been a notable hindrance this term, that problem stems from their lack of solidity in midfield.
Of course, Moises Caicedo has been absent through injury, but Chelsea need to sign a new midfielder in 2027 and it’s understood to be their biggest priority in the market.
So, not only would Hall be a hugely valuable asset for Alonso at left-back, he also would’ve helped Chelsea in their pursuit of a new midfielder, and their decision to sell him to Newcastle has unquestionably come back to bite them.
