Chelsea are having a poor season so far, and the FA Cup is their last chance to avoid going trophyless. Needless to say, the Blues will need to improve multiple areas of their squad in the summer transfer window, especially their defence.
Levi Colwill is yet to return to match fitness, having been injured in pre-season. As for the rest of the defenders, they have simply failed to live up to the standards needed at Chelsea. As a result, a reshuffle in the backline might be necessary.
Marc Cucurella does not fall in that category. He has been quality. But there are now some doubts over his future at the club after he recently came out and criticised some of BlueCo’s decision-making in the media.
Incidentally, Simon Phillips has now come out and shared that the club are exploring a potential move to bring back Lewis Hall. But there’s a catch as well. According to Chelsea.news, the journalist wrote on Substack:
“I’ve started to hear some whispers about Chelsea looking into possibly bringing Lewis Hall back to the club.
“Chelsea have a sell on clause in Hall’s contract but not buyback. However, it’s just something that Chelsea are exploring at the moment – with the situation of Marc Cucurella being up in the air.”
Lewis Hall would be the perfect signing for Chelsea
Cucurella is an undisputed starter for Chelsea when available. But questions have started emerging regarding the Spanish international’s long-term future at the club. And the other options at left-back haven’t been convincing, to be honest. Jorrel Hato has done fairly well in recent months. But can he be relied upon to start consistently yet?
Hall would be an incredible addition to Chelsea. The English youngster has already established himself as a key player for Newcastle United. In fact, there are some who believe he is the best left-back in the Premier League and in the mix when it comes to Europe.
Moreover, the 21-year-old already knows his way around at the West London club, having come through their youth academy before moving to Newcastle United permanently in 2024. Letting him go was a mistake. And bringing him back might not be on the cards either.
Journalist himself does not see the move happening
The Hall homecoming dreams are likely to fall short. That is according to Phillips himself. He also wrote on the matter:
“We’ve heard from other sources though that it is unlikely that Hall would consider returning to Chelsea at this moment, so I don’t expect anything to come of this one.”
Chelsea will surely feel that they made the wrong decision in letting Hall leave. He was always highly rated at Cobham. And he has proven himself since leaving.
Anyway, what’s done is done, and there’s little point in dwelling on it. The Blues will have to find some other candidates for the role if they do need a left-back. For now, though, the season isn’t over, and that’s where the focus is needed the most. One can only hope that Cucurella stays put at Chelsea, because replacing him won’t be easy.
