Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has urged new Chelsea head coach Xabi Alonso to re-sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle United for £60 million as a replacement for Marc Cucurella, who recently completed a move to Real Madrid.
Chelsea left-back search intensifies after Cucurella departure
Chelsea are actively searching the transfer market for a new left-back after selling Spain international Cucurella to La Liga giants Real Madrid. Cucurella expressed a desire to leave Stamford Bridge following a frustrating season in which Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League. Earlier this year, the 27-year-old criticised Chelsea’s decision to sack Enzo Maresca and questioned the club’s transfer strategy of signing almost exclusively young and inexperienced players with potential sell-on value.
Chelsea have held talks with Juventus over a deal for Italy international Andrea Cambiaso. Hasselbaink believes Cambiaso would be a positive signing but said he would ‘prefer’ Chelsea to bring Hall back to Stamford Bridge.
Lewis Hall: From Chelsea academy to Premier League standout
Hall joined Chelsea’s academy at age eight but made only 12 first-team appearances before being sold to Newcastle in 2023 for £35 million. The 21-year-old has since established himself as one of the Premier League’s best left-backs and earned an England call-up. Manchester United are also interested in Hall as they seek competition for injury-prone Luke Shaw ahead of their Champions League return.
‘Those are the exact kinds of transfers I like – players coming from big clubs where the shirt is really heavy and where they already understand the pressure to win,’ Hasselbaink said of Cambiaso. ‘Bringing that kind of mentality into the squad can only help the other players who are already there. So I like those kinds of links.’
Asked whether he would ‘prefer’ Chelsea to target Hall, Hasselbaink told 10bet: ‘Yeah, I would. Look, I think with Marc Cucurella leaving, they will need to bring somebody in, but they also have Jorrel Hato who can play left-back and finished the season really strongly. But Lewis Hall has been unlucky not to be part of this England World Cup squad – he’s done really well at Newcastle. He used to be at Chelsea, though, so I don’t know how the club would feel about buying their own player back – most of the time, that’s a bit of an issue psychologically.’
Hasselbaink outlines two options for Chelsea left-back
Hasselbaink suggested Chelsea could keep Hato as first-choice left-back and bring in a younger backup, or pursue Hall. ‘But if Lewis Hall comes, he’s going to want to come to play, isn’t he? Because he’s playing regularly at Newcastle. So then it becomes a real battle. But I do like Lewis; I think he’s done exceptionally well. He’s really worked on himself, improved, and he’s a very good player.’
Other Chelsea transfer activity
While targeting a left-back, Chelsea have bolstered their right-back options by signing Marco Palestra from Atalanta. The 21-year-old Italian became Alonso’s first summer signing and could pave the way for Malo Gusto to leave. Both Chelsea and Gusto are open to a move, with the club reportedly slapping a £75 million asking price on the Frenchman. Defender Trevoh Chalobah could also depart, with Chelsea seeking £35 million; Cesc Fabregas’s Como have shown interest.
