Hasselbaink's Call: Bring Lewis Hall Home Rather Than Chase Cambiaso

Xabi Alonso's Chelsea have a clear vacancy to fill at left-back following Marc Cucurella's summer departure to Real Madrid, with the Spanish international departing after a frustrating campaign saw the Blues finish 10th and miss out on European football entirely. The 27-year-old had grown disillusioned with the club's handling of Enzo Maresca's exit and their recruitment philosophy focused on young prospects with future resale potential.

The west London club have already opened discussions over a move for Juventus defender Andrea Cambiaso, the 26-year-old Italy international, as a direct replacement. Yet Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink reckons they should be looking elsewhere.

While the former Blues striker acknowledges Cambiaso's quality, he'd rather see Chelsea revisit their own academy cupboard. "Those are the exact kinds of transfers I like – players coming from big clubs where the shirt is really heavy and where they already understand the pressure to win," Hasselbaink said of the Juventus link. "Bringing that kind of mentality into the squad can only help the other players who are already there."

But when asked whether Hall would be the better option, Hasselbaink made his preference clear: "Yeah, I would."

Hall's journey away from Stamford Bridge is well documented. Joining Chelsea's academy at eight years old, he managed just 12 senior appearances before being sold to Newcastle for £35million in 2023. Since then, he's blossomed into one of the Premier League's standout left-backs, a form that left many questioning his omission from Thomas Tuchel's England World Cup squad.

Manchester United are currently circling, with Hall valued around £60million following an impressive 2025/26 season. Yet Hasselbaink sees complications with a homecoming. "Look, I think with Marc Cucurella leaving, they will need to bring somebody in, but they also have Jorrel Hato who can play left-back and finished the season really strongly and really well," he explained.

"He used to be at Chelsea, though, so I don't know how the club would feel about buying their own player back – most of the time, that's a bit of an issue psychologically."

The former Netherlands international then outlined Chelsea's options: either stick with Hato as first choice and recruit younger cover, or pursue Hall knowing he'd demand regular minutes. "But if Lewis Hall comes, he's going to want to come to play, isn't he? Because he's playing regularly at Newcastle. So then it becomes a real battle."

Still, Hasselbaink harbours no doubts about Hall's credentials. "I do like Lewis; I think he's done exceptionally well. He's really worked on himself, improved, and he's a very good player."