Xabi Alonso has been advised to sign former Chelsea academy product Lewis Hall as a replacement for Marc Cucurella, who has moved to Real Madrid. Chelsea are actively seeking a new left-back after selling the Spain international to the La Liga giants, with Cucurella having expressed a desire to leave Stamford Bridge following a frustrating season in which Chelsea finished 10th in the Premier League. The 27-year-old criticised the club's decision to sack Enzo Maresca and questioned their transfer strategy of signing predominantly young, inexperienced players with potential sell-on value.
Hasselbaink Backs Hall Return
Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes Chelsea should bring Lewis Hall back to Stamford Bridge rather than pursue other targets. Hall joined Chelsea's academy at age eight but made only 12 first-team appearances before being sold to Newcastle United in 2023 for £35 million. He has since established himself as one of the Premier League's best left-backs and earned an England cap, leading to links with a move away from St James' Park this summer. Manchester United are reportedly interested in signing Hall to provide competition for the injury-prone Luke Shaw ahead of their Champions League return.
Hasselbaink, speaking to 10bet, praised Hall's development: 'Lewis Hall has been unlucky not to be part of this England World Cup squad – he's done really well at Newcastle.' However, he acknowledged the psychological hurdle of re-signing a former player: '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.'
Cambiaso Also in Frame
Chelsea are also interested in Juventus left-back Andrea Cambiaso and have held talks over a deal for the Italy international. Hasselbaink described such transfers as 'exactly the 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.' He added: 'Bringing that kind of mentality into the squad can only help the other players who are already there.'
Despite this, Hasselbaink admitted he would 'prefer' Chelsea to target Hall, valued at around £60 million. He noted that Chelsea also have Jorrel Hato, who finished the season strongly at left-back, as an option. 'I think they can go two ways: they can keep Hato as the first-choice left-back and get a younger lad in as backup, or they look at 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.'
Other Chelsea Defensive Moves
While targeting a left-back, Chelsea have already 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, with both Chelsea and Gusto open to a move. The club has reportedly set a £75 million asking price for the Frenchman. Additionally, Trevoh Chalobah could depart for £35 million, with Cesc Fabregas's Como showing interest.
