Newcastle are interested in signing Chelsea fullback Lewis Hall, according to NUFCBlog.co.uk reporter Olly Hawkins.

The journalist claims that Magpies boss Eddie Howe is a “big admirer” of the 18-year-old, who made 11 appearances in all competitions for the Blues last season.

Strengthening the left-hand side of defence remains a key priority and the club have been linked with a number of different players across the course of the summer.

Hall’s Chelsea teammate Marc Cucurella has been mentioned as an option, along with the likes of Real Madrid’s Ferland Mendy, Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco and Arsenal’s Kieran Tierney.

A move for Tierney, in particular, has been rumoured for a number of months but the Scottish international’s £30m asking price has proven to be a stumbling block.

Finding an agreement to sign Hall could be tricky

NUFCBlog.co.uk claim that Hall has been deemed a cheaper “alternative” to Tierney but that very much depends on how amenable his club Chelsea are.

A loan with an obligation to buy would be the perfect deal for Newcastle, as it would allow them to delay payments and stay within Financial Fairplay rules.

However, you can’t see Chelsea being open to such an arrangement as Hall is a very highly-rated young player.

Newcastle would be able to offer more first-team football

While his club may need a lot of persuading, Hall could be more open to the move due to the limited number of playing opportunities he is likely to have next season.

Ben Chilwell is expected to be the first-choice left-back and if, as expected, Cucurella remains at Stamford Bridge, Hall would be third in line.

With the Magpies, his only competition for a start would be Dan Burn, and with Champions League football on offer as well, a move to the North East could be an attractive proposition for the teenager.