It feels like Lewis Hall has finally turned the corner as a Newcastle United player.
The 19-year-old is finally starting to get more regular minutes in a Newcastle United shirt, having initially struggled after his loan move from Chelsea.
That deal included an obligation to buy for £28million if certain conditions were met, and for a long time there were fears that they would not be met. There were theories that the club recognised their mistake, and would not be signing Lewis Hall permanently.
But they were only theories. The terms have now been met, meaning Newcastle are obliged to sign Hall from Chelsea this summer. And that is not something Toon officials view as a mistake, with Hall seen as a player who has a very bright future ahead of him.
What Newcastle staff will and will not admit about Lewis Hall
And that is something that everyone must remember when it comes to the teenager. He was signed as a player for the future, rather than the present.
But the fact that Eddie Howe was not willing to use him more earlier in the season was alarming, with the Newcastle manager seemingly not trusting Hall defensively.
There appears to be a bit more trust now, and the Athletic have provided details on how Hall is currently viewed internally as he edges closer towards the end of his first season as a Newcastle United player.
According to the Athletic, Newcastle want Hall to improve his defensive positioning and understanding.
They state that Newcastle staff certainly do not view signing Hall as a mistake, but will admit that the youngster ‘requires the greatest work to develop into a top-class player’.
Newcastle may need to alter their plans for Lewis Hall
That is the aim for Hall at Newcastle. The club want him to be a top level left-back, with the idea being that they have secured their fullbacks for the next decade with him and Tino Livramento.
But while the future is clear for Livramento – he will replace Kieran Trippier when the times comes – it is not as easy to see what the future holds for Hall.
We know all about his potential, and we have seen in recent weeks how much he has improved. He has done well since coming into the team, and it looks like Howe suddenly trusts him a bit more.
But does he trust him to be regular next season? That is the big question. It was recently reported that the Magpies could send Hall out on loan, with the view to him playing more regularly.
However, he may have proven now that he can play more regularly for Newcastle, and minutes might be easier to come by if Howe’s side are competing in the Europa League. On top of that, the belief might be that Hall will develop more if he continues to work closely with the Toon coaching team, rather than being loaned out.
Big decisions need to be made in the coming months regarding Hall, but it is encouraging to see things finally going in the right direction for him and his Newcastle United career.
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