Premier League legend Ashley Cole has his eyes on Newcastle United and England international Lewis Hall as his left back to watch this season.
Cole, an Arsenal invincible and Champions League winner with Chelsea, is widely considered the greatest Premier League and English left back of all time. Hall, despite being excluded from England’s 2026 World Cup squad, is one of the best young talents in the top flight. The 21-year-old has also been linked with a move to Manchester United this summer.
Speaking with SB Nation ahead of the 2026-27 Premier League season kicking off Friday, Cole spotlighted Hall amid the incoming and outgoing transfers this summer.
“I think the one to watch out for is Hall. I worked with him at Chelsea as a 14, 15, 16-year-old. It was a big risk for him to leave Chelsea and go to Newcastle United, but year on year he’s showed his qualities and level. I think this is going to be a big year for him,” Cole told SB Nation.
Cole ‘gutted’ Chelsea lost Cucurella to Real Madrid
“I think Chelsea are going to miss Marc Cucurella. I thought he adapted to the Premier League at Brighton to start, took a little time but showed his quality and moved to Chelsea. He’s had a ton of success with the Spanish national team and now he’s moved to Real Madrid. I’m a little bit gutted we’re losing top quality players and left backs, at that, at Chelsea. But the one standout is Hall, I would love to see him blossom this year, go on to another level with Newcastle and continue to thrive.
Cucurella’s departure opens up the best left back debate in England even more. Manchester City standout Nico O’Reilly is a player to watch after exploding onto the scene last season and played in all seven England games at the 2026 World Cup. Arsenal maverick Riccardo Calafiori looks to reestablish himself and play a full season while Piero Hincapié‘s move was made permanent over the summer as well.
Elsewhere, Milos Kerkez could see a return to form that earned him a big move to Liverpool last summer given the reunion with Andoni Iraola on Merseyside.
Premier League Coast to Coast celebrates opening weekend
The Premier League returns barely a month removed from the 2026 World Cup final with champions Arsenal hosting promoted side Coventry City.
The league looks to further capitalize on the excitement stateside with the Coast to Coast event centered around 20 individual watch parties across 15 U.S. cities. Cole, who also played in Major League Soccer with the LA Galaxy, is excited about the growth of the English top flight abroad.
“The interest over the last 10 years has clearly grown, but after the amazing World Cup the U.S. hosted I think it really brought people together,” Cole told SB Nation. “The passion is clearly there from the fans… we have some big, big personalities in the Premier League like Erling Haaland. He makes people want to watch football. I think players don’t shy away from having personalities which is more engaging for fans around the world.”
The Premier League season opens Friday, Aug. 21 at 3 p.m. ET.
