Lewis Hall close to agreeing long-term contract

Lewis Hall appeared to be a transfer Manchester United were willing to wait for.

Sometimes, patience in the transfer market is rewarded.

Other times, the door you leave open slowly begins to close.

For United, Hall may be becoming a case of the latter.

The England international emerged as one of the club’s leading defensive targets during the summer as Michael Carrick looked for greater competition on the left side of his backline.

United ultimately walked away.

Newcastle United had no appetite to sell, the asking price was enormous and, with the midfield requiring significant investment, Old Trafford chiefs decided against forcing the issue.

The plan was not necessarily abandonment, but postponement.

United intended to return for Hall in 2027, hoping that another year might loosen Newcastle’s grip on a player they had refused to surrender this summer.

That patience came with risk.

Luke Shaw remains Carrick’s only senior natural left-back, and the opening weeks of the season have done little to silence those who believe United needed reinforcement.

Six goals have already found their way into United’s net across three Premier League matches, with defeats and defensive lapses exposing a backline that has undergone surprisingly little permanent change in recent years.

Shaw has endured difficult moments himself, including being beaten down his flank in the build-up to Ipswich Town’s opener at Old Trafford.

Hall therefore looked like unfinished business rather than a forgotten target.

Lewis Hall set to agree long-term deal

Now, however, United’s path back to Hall has become considerably steeper.

talkSPORT report that the 22-year-old is close to agreeing a new long-term contract with Newcastle United.

Hall was United’s top defensive target this summer, but Newcastle made it clear that he was not for sale.

United consequently shelved the move with the intention of launching another pursuit next year.

The landscape is changing.

Hall is now expected to commit himself to Newcastle until 2031, strengthening their negotiating hand considerably and meaning United would likely need a huge offer to prise him away.

United waited because they believed time might bring Hall closer.

Instead, it may have pushed him further away.