Newcastle United will reportedly demand around £8 million to cash in on out-of-favour left-back Jamal Lewis.
According to Football Insider, Newcastle United have told defender Jamal Lewis that he is free to find a new club in the summer transfer window as they plan a massive squad overhaul.
A product of the Norwich City academy, Lewis joined Newcastle United in the summer of 2020 off the back of an impressive debut season in the Premier League. He was viewed by many as a top-quality addition, considering Newcastle pipped Liverpool to his signature at the time.
However, Lewis has struggled in a Newcastle shirt, making a mere 32 appearances for the Magpies. He has not been able to get going and has been unable to keep himself fit due to a longstanding groin issue since the early days of his Newcastle career.
It is not really a huge surprise that he has fallen out of favour under Eddie Howe and was dropped from the 25-man Premier League squad to accommodate winter arrival Matt Targett. With Newcastle primed to make further additions in the summer, he is most likely to have played his final game for the club.
Meanwhile, Targett has impressed with his ball-playing abilities so far in his Newcastle career and has already become one of the first names on the team sheet. Targett has played an instrumental role in the Magpies’ strong run in the last couple of months that has seen them steer clear of the dreaded drop zone.
Newcastle also have the option to make Targett’s stay permanent for around £15 million in the summer transfer window. Should the Aston Villa loanee maintain his consistent performances, it is hard to see why Newcastle would not want to permanently integrate the 26-year-old into Howe’s long-term plans.
That ruins Lewis’s chances of establishing himself as a first-choice full-back at St. James’ Park any time soon. Newcastle were ready to send Lewis out on loan till the end of the season so that he could get consistent playing time elsewhere. But the Northern Irishman declined offers from Championship sides Birmingham and Stoke City on deadline day, while a potential move to Turkish outfit Trabzonspor never materialised.
The 24-year-old still has over three years left on his contract, and he will not play any football in the next few months, which means he will likely leave in the summer. It has been suggested that Newcastle would be willing to cut their losses on their asset, demanding a fee of around £8 million to secure a deal for the talented left-back.
