Lewis Hall signs Newcastle extension to 2031 after United interest

Newcastle United defender Lewis Hall has signed a contract extension running to 2031, ending summer transfer speculation that linked him with Manchester United, and says he expects to stay at the club for the long term provided it meets its ambitions. Hall, 22, committed to the new deal earlier this month after Manchester United identified him as their top left-back target during the transfer window but failed to reach an agreement with Newcastle. The England international said the decision to extend was straightforward once he began working with new head coach Matthias Jaissle, who replaced Eddie Howe during pre-season. "No, honestly, it didn't," Hall told Chronicle Live when asked whether the speculation had made life difficult over the summer. "I guess whenever you're linked to another team, you know that you're doing something right. I guess it's just a credit to your own performances and how you are as a player, how you are as a person. I took that as a positive, but at the same time, I knew how much I love playing here.