Former Chelsea defender Lewis Hall has rejected a move back to the club this summer, after the Blues burned their bridges with him in 2023.
Chelsea are on the hunt for a new left-back after they parted ways with Marc Cucurella, whose move to Real Madrid has already been confirmed.
The Blues determined that Hall was a potential replacement for the Spaniard, given his impressive performances in the position since he moved to Newcastle United.
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Lewis Hall rejects Chelsea return after bad blood from 2023 exit
The England international is reportedly open to a move away from St. James’ Park this summer, although has already rejected any potential return to Stamford Bridge.
On his Substack, it says: “As reported by SPTC Sources at the time, Chelsea made a move to try and sign Lewis Hall from Newcastle United earlier in the summer.
“However, Hall was one of the many players who has already rejected Chelsea’s advances this summer, and he politely told the club no thankyou to a return to Stamford Bridge. So that was dead in the water. The belief is that Hall did not like how he was treated by the club before he left.”
It is clear that the decision to sell Hall, so shortly after he had signed a new contract and broken into the first team setup under Graham Potter, did not sit well with the Cobham graduate.
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He has every right to feel this way. Todd Boehly and co cashed in at the first sign of pure profit from selling a player from their academy.
The owners have learned a number of harsh lessons since taking over at Stamford Bridge, and burning bridges with one of the best young players in the Premier League is another tough pill to swallow.
The Blues have been forced to pivot their interest to Pep Chavarria, who Xabi Alonso has plenty of admiration for after watching him play in La Liga.
Personal terms have already been agreed, although it is clear that he is not at the level of Hall based on the fee Chelsea are willing to pay for the Rayo Vallecano man.
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