David Ornstein does not expect Lewis Hall to join Manchester United. Newcastle United appointed Matthias Jaissle as head coach on 5 August and have called Hall a cornerstone of his project.
Two things changed on the Lewis Hall story yesterday, and both of them point the same way.
The first is David Ornstein. Speaking on 5 August, The Athletic reporter said he does not expect Hall to be coming to Manchester United, adding that there is clearly some interest but that Newcastle United will be determined to keep hold of him. Until yesterday the loudest voices on this were Fabrizio Romano, who reported on 1 August that Hall is on the Manchester United list and internally approved, and Graeme Bailey of TEAMtalk, who reported the price. Ornstein is the first of the three to say plainly that he thinks it does not happen.
The second is that Newcastle United now have a manager. Matthias Jaissle was announced as head coach on 5 August, replacing Eddie Howe, who resigned in July after nearly five years. Jaissle is 38. He won back to back Austrian titles with RB Salzburg, then went to Al Ahli in the Saudi Pro League in 2023 and won the Asian Champions League twice. Newcastle United paid compensation reported at more than 9 million pounds and signed him to a four year deal. He met the squad at the pre-season camp in La Manga.
That matters to this story because of how Newcastle United have framed Hall since. Bailey reported on 4 August that they view Hall as one of the cornerstones of Jaissle's new project and have no intention of entertaining offers in this window. He put the threshold at a fee in excess of 62 million pounds, above the 60 million pound valuation reported elsewhere, and said the club are currently refusing to discuss a valuation at all.
The counter-argument is in Bailey's own reporting. Newcastle United have held this line before, on Alexander Isak, on Sandro Tonali and on Bruno Guimaraes, and sold anyway. Anthony Gordon, Tonali and Guimaraes have all left this summer. A club that has lost three senior players and its manager inside one window has said no before and changed its mind.
Where it actually stands: Ben Jacobs reports Manchester United have made initial enquiries and that no club to club contact has taken place. Hall is 21 and under contract until 2029. Newcastle United signed him from Chelsea for 28 million pounds, on loan first and then permanently.
Manchester United have spent this summer on midfield. Andrey Santos cost 50 million pounds from Chelsea, 48 million guaranteed plus 2 million in add-ons, on a contract to June 2031. Youri Tielemans cost 35 million pounds after Manchester United met his Aston Villa release clause. Ornstein has named midfield and left-back as the two priorities. Only one of them has been solved, and the reporter who named the list is now the one saying the second will not be.
