Former Tottenham Hotspur and England midfielder Jermaine Jenas has backed Lewis Hall’s reported move to Manchester United, describing it as a major step forward in the young defender’s career despite the disappointment it would bring to Newcastle United supporters.
Speaking exclusively to 10bet, Jenas said the 21-year-old left-back has earned interest from one of England’s biggest clubs after showing consistent improvement during his time at St James’ Park.
Hall has been linked with a switch to Old Trafford this summer, and Jenas believes the move would benefit both the player and Manchester United.
“I think it’s a great move for him. I really do,” Jenas said.
“He’s had a fantastic couple of years at Newcastle. I think he was obviously a huge Newcastle United fan after going there from Chelsea and so on, but he’s one of those players that people looked at and said he should probably be at the World Cup.”
He also pointed to Hall’s development as a key reason why United are interested.
“Like I said, he’s had a good, solid year; his development year-in, year-out seems to be getting better and better.
“For a club like Manchester United to come in for him is a huge step in the right direction – not only for United, because he’s just consistent week-in, week-out, but it’s also a big loss for Newcastle, I’m not going to lie.”
“For him and his personal career, it’s a great move.”
Jenas understands Newcastle stars’ frustrations
Jenas also addressed reports that several Newcastle stars could leave the club amid ongoing financial challenges and uncertainty over their ability to compete consistently at the highest level.
The former England international said he would not blame players such as Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon if they decided to seek new opportunities elsewhere.
“I don’t think you can blame Tonali, Guimaraes, or Anthony Gordon,” he said.
“They all came in on the promise of the football club being taken to the very next level.”
“There were signs of that, don’t get me wrong – they won some silverware and had their run in the Champions League – but they’ve obviously just hit a bump in the road with the finances. In doing so, it unfortunately doesn’t allow you to keep these kinds of players.”
“They are players who are going to be demanding top-tier European football, and if Newcastle are not delivering that, then I think they’ve all been at the football club long enough to deserve to move on if they want to.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Manchester United handed fresh hope in pursuit of Real Madrid star Aurelien Tchouameni
Howe deserves more time
Despite Newcastle’s recent struggles, Jenas believes manager Eddie Howe has earned the right to remain in charge.
“Listen, I think almost any club in the Premier League would take Eddie Howe in a heartbeat,” he said.
“With a clean slate, it might be a tough start, but I’d like to see him stay at the football club for a bit longer yet. He brought the first bit of silverware to the club for God knows how long; that’s got to buy you at least another year.”
READ NEXT: World Cup 2026 analysis: Why Thomas Tuchel’s England squad suddenly makes sense
