Lewis Hall turned down Manchester United and signed a new Newcastle deal without a second thought

When a player's name starts getting floated by the club next door, the usual reaction is a bit of nerves. Not for Lewis Hall. The 22 year old full back had Manchester United knocking this summer and answered by signing a long term contract with Newcastle. No hesitation, no drawn out negotiations: for him, in his own words, it was "a no-brainer."

Hall put pen to paper on September 11, right in the thick of transfer window noise. And this was no idle rumor: United had him marked as their top target at left back. Still, they never actually made a formal offer for the Englishman, so it all stayed at declared interest and nothing more.

What's notable is that Hall didn't even arrive at Newcastle as a sure thing. He left Chelsea in 2023 on loan, and it wasn't until a year later that the club made the move permanent. Since then his performances have steadily climbed to the point where he's now a player other clubs covet.

Asked whether it was hard to handle all that speculation over the summer, Hall was direct with Chronicle Live:

No, honestly, it wasn't. I guess when you get linked with another team, you know you're doing something right. I think it's just a credit to your own performances and to how you are as a player, how you are as a person.Lewis Hall

The player went further, explaining why he never wavered despite interest from a Premier League heavyweight:

I took it as a positive, but at the same time I knew how much I love playing here and I knew, from when the manager arrived, what the ambitions were and what we wanted to achieve. After not many conversations, not many training sessions, I knew the manager was going to be really good for this club, and I knew as a team, bringing in new players and improving the squad was really important. Once we did that, honestly it was a no-brainer to sign.Lewis Hall

The good news for Hall didn't stop with the paperwork. On Saturday he scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Hull City, and on top of that he received a call up to the England squad after missing out on the World Cup roster. A personal run of form that's putting him back in the spotlight right when talk of his possible exit was loudest.

Meanwhile, things aren't going as well at Old Trafford: United have failed to recapture the form that earned them a third place finish last season and sit in 12th place heading into this first international break of the campaign. That contrast might explain, at least in part, why Hall didn't think twice.

Even so, the player himself prefers not to talk in terms of forever. Asked whether this contract means he sees himself at Newcastle for the long haul, he kept his feet on the ground:

I think so. I think when you're at a club you don't think too far ahead. Obviously I'm really grateful for the contract I've been given and for the trust the board and the manager have shown in me. But I'm taking it game by game, trying to give my best for this club. We have ambitions, and as long as we're meeting them, I'm sure I'll be here for a long time.Lewis Hall

With the transfer window chapter closed, Newcastle now turn their attention to the next fixture: a trip to Coventry City on October 12. By then, Hall will arrive with the confidence of a recent goal, a secured place in the England squad and, above all, the peace of mind of having settled his future before the noise became too much to bear.