Chelsea look to scupper Manchester United transfer as they identify Marc Cucurella replacement: report

Marc Cucurella playing for Chelsea in the Champions League
Marc Cucurella has joined Real Madrid (Image credit: Getty Images)

Chelsea have a lot of work to do in the transfer market this summer after a disappointing campaign in 2025/26.

With Xabi Alonso coming in as manager, there was always going to be some upheaval in the Chelsea squad.

Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid has now been confirmed, so the Blues need a new left-back and their reported top target is a player they're all too familiar with.

Chelsea want to bring Lewis Hall back to Stamford Bridge

Chelsea had been eyeing up Nathaniel Brown, but the German is heading to Bayern Munich instead. That has left Chelsea turning their attention firmly to former Blues ace Lewis Hall.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the Newcastle United man could be on his way back to West London in a £60million move.

Lewis Hall of Newcastle United tracked closely by Lamine Yamal of Barcelona during Champions League match between Newcastle United and Barcelona

Lewis Hall joined Newcastle from Chelsea in 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Hall became one of Newcastle United's most expensive signings of all time when he joined from Chelsea in a deal worth around £35million in 2024, following a successful loan spell with the club.

But, with the Magpies under pressure to sell to appease SCR rules, they could be forced to let Hall go for a tidy profit.

That news will come as a blow to Michael Carrick and Manchester United, who also have Hall on their shortlist for this summer. Either way, it is believed Hall and his representatives are said to be open to moving on ahead of next season.

Hall didn't make the England World Cup 2026 squad, rather surprisingly, and as such, has plenty of time this summer to assess his options.

Chelsea have other targets on their radar, though. Alonso is keen to reunite with Bayer Leverkusen star Alex Grimaldo who, despite being 30-years-old now, knows the Spaniard's style of play inside out.

Michael Carrick

Micharl Carrick's Manchester United have been linked with Lewis Hall (Image credit: Getty)

Juventus wing-back Andrea Cambiaso is also admired by Chelsea's recruitment team, particularly due to the fact he can play on the right or left.

In FourFourTwo's view, if Newcastle are looking to move Hall on at a price anywhere near the €40million that he is valued at on Transfermarkt, the 21-year-old could be a very shrewd signing for any leading Premier League clubs.

The deciding factor here is likely to be just how badly Newcastle - who have already banked £70million for Anthony Gordon this summer - need to sell.

Jakob Barnes
Freelance Writer

Jakob has over 11 years of experience in journalism across sports, entertainment, tech, and politics. Now a freelance news writer for FourFourTwo, he covers the biggest stories from the world of football.

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