“He’s a great player” – Pundit believes England star would be a ‘fantastic replacement’ for Marc Cucurella at Chelsea

Former footballer-turned-pundit Shaun Wright-Phillips has urged Chelsea to bring Lewis Hall back to Stamford Bridge, suggesting that the Newcastle United defender would be a “fantastic replacement” for Marc Cucurella.

Cucurella brought an end to a four-year stint at the West London club last month, joining Real Madrid on a six-year deal. His departure has left the Blues short of options at left-back, as the Spaniard was the club’s first choice in the position.

So far this transfer window, Chelsea have yet to sign a replacement for the Spaniard, with the only defensive signing being a right-back.

Speaking to Jackpot City CasinoWright-Phillips named Hall as a player who could succeed Cucurella, backing the England international for a “superb career” if he remains injury-free.

“Lewis Hall would be a fantastic replacement for Chelsea,” the former Blues winger said. “I think he’s a great player. I was one of the ones who was shocked that he wasn’t playing in the World Cup, to be honest with you. But that will give him a little bit of grit between the teeth as well. As long as he can stay fit, he’s got a superb career in front of him.”

Hall came through the ranks at Chelsea, playing across different age brackets in the youth team before making his senior team debut in 2022.

Wright-Phillips described Cucurella’s departure as a “massive loss” for the Blues, hailing the Spaniard as a “fantastic player”.

“Cucurella, I think, is a massive loss,” Wright-Phillips added. “I think he’s a fantastic player, not only from his performance in the World Cup, but since he found his feet at Chelsea. He was at a club that was in many ways in disarray, they didn’t know where they were going or what direction they were heading. ‘As soon as they got a manager in place that had a tactical side to him, you saw the good Cucurella they bought.

“For me, he’s just grown since that moment. To lose somebody of that magnitude will, of course, affect that defence. But it’s Chelsea, people move on and clubs like that have to figure out a way to find a suitable enough player that does just as good a job.”

Cucurella sends farewell message to Chelsea fans after completing Real Madrid move

On Tuesday, Cucurella issued an emotional farewell message to Chelsea fans, more than a month after completing his move to Real Madrid. In a video posted on his social media accountsthe left-back expressed gratitude to everyone at the club and said London will always be his home.

“Hi Blues, after four seasons together, it’s time to say goodbye,” he said. “I have had some time to reflect and remember what we have lived together. I arrived here as a young lad with the dream of winning many trophies and playing in the Champions League. We had a tough start, it’s true, but with hard work and effort we were able to turn it around. Thanks to this club and its high expectations today, I can honestly say that London will always be my home and you will always be part of my story.”

Cucurella made 163 appearances across all competitions for the Blues, scoring nine goals and providing 13 assists.