Newcastle have reached an agreement with Chelsea over a deal for teenage defender Lewis Hall.
The PA news agency understands that talks over the 18-year-old’s move to Tyneside have reached a successful conclusion and that he will become the club’s fourth major summer signing.
Magpies head coach Eddie Howe confirmed his interest in Hall at his pre-match press conference on Friday morning and indicated that the move – initially at least – would be on a loan basis.
![Eddie Howe says signing Hall would conclude Newcastle's summer business](https://img.resized.co/beat102103/eyJkYXRhIjoie1widXJsXCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2ltYWdlLmFzc2V0cy5wcmVzc2Fzc29jaWF0aW9uLmlvXFxcL3YyXFxcL2ltYWdlXFxcL3Byb2R1Y3Rpb25cXFwvMWY3NDg1ZDdiZTcyNjhjYWM0NGIzNGQ3MTQwZjA0MDFZMjl1ZEdWdWRITmxZWEpqYUdGd2FTd3hOamt5TkRNNE5UQXhcXFwvMi43MzI1NjIyMy5qcGc_dz02NDBcIixcIndpZHRoXCI6XCI2NDBcIixcImhlaWdodFwiOlwiODkzXCIsXCJkZWZhdWx0XCI6XCJodHRwczpcXFwvXFxcL2V1LWNlbnRyYWwtMS5saW5vZGVvYmplY3RzLmNvbVxcXC9wcGx1cy5pbWcuYmVhdDEwMjEwMy5jb21cXFwvcHJvZFxcXC91cGxvYWRzXFxcL0JlYXQtTm8tSW1hZ2UucG5nXCIsXCJvcHRpb25zXCI6e1wib3V0cHV0XCI6XCJ3ZWJwXCJ9fSIsImhhc2giOiJlZGUwNjEyMmVkMzZkZGRlOGU5ODZjZGEzOThmMDJjNjUyNjQ1YzVhIn0=/lewis-hall-set-to-join-newcastle-after-agreement-reached-with-chelsea.jpg?w=640)
Asked about the player, Howe said: “Let’s wait and see what happens today. He’s a player that I like, very versatile, really good potential.”
Asked further if the move would be on a loan basis after admitting last week that the club would have to be “creative” in following up summer swoops for Sandro Tonali, Harvey Barnes and Tino Livramento, Howe added: “Yes, I think it is, yes.”
Howe also confirmed that completion of the deal would effectively bring an end to the club’s incoming transfer business.
He said: “I think if we were able to bring a player in, that would be our transfer business concluded unless there were injuries within our own players.”
By Damian Spellman, PA