City accept Newcastle offer for Jamal Lewis
Jamal Lewis is on international duty for Northern Ireland while Newcastle thrash out a deal with Norwich City Picture: PA/AP Photo/Alexandru Dobre - Credit: AP
Jamal Lewis is expected to complete his move from Norwich City to Newcastle United in the coming days after the clubs agreed an initial £15m transfer deal.
The Magpies firmed up their interest late on Sunday evening with personal terms agreed and a medical dependent on Lewis featuring on Monday night for Northern Ireland in the Uefa Nations League against Norway in Belfast.
City’s sporting director Stuart Webber held lengthy talks with the Magpies on Friday following an initial approach for the left back to discuss a potential £15m deal with a series of add ons.
Lewis was the subject of a cheeky £8m up front offer from Liverpool earlier this summer that was rejected out of hand.
Newcastle have now met City’s valuation for a player who came through their academy after joining from Luton Town.
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Canaries’ head coach Daniel Farke had no desire to lose Lewis but accepted after watching his side’s League Cup defeat at Kenilworth Road on Saturday the final call was out of his hands.
“I have spoken a lot about this situation and nothing has changed,” he said. “If there is something in the background that is upto Stuart Webber, our sporting director, to make any decisions. From the sporting point of view we need our best players and I wouldn’t sell any of our best players.
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“But I am not naive. Decisions have to be made in the interests of the club, not just the head coach.
“If the board and our sporting director has a situation where they have to make a decision in the best interests of the club they are better placed than me. I trust the key people to make the best decisions. But I don’t know if there is any news.”
Lewis’ international boss, Ian Baraclough has also given his blessing to a Tyneside switch.
“It’s exciting times for him,” he told Sky Sports. “There’s one or two in the squad that have been talking about possible moves to other clubs but for Jamal it would stepping back into the Premier League. We feel he is a Premier League player. He has got all the attributes for that and is still learning in a lot of ways.
“If he was to complete the move to Newcastle, Steve Bruce will be a fantastic manager for him to give him more of an education and take him on to another level. What a club it would be to move to. The Newcastle fans would be pleased I am sure, to see him flying up and down the left-hand side. And for us it gives us a boost to have somebody in our ranks from the Premier League.”
City have recruited Xavi Quintilla and Sam McCallum as left-back options for the campaign ahead. McCallum is now likely to remain as part of Farke’s squad as cover for Quintilla instead of head out on a potential loan, had Lewis remained at Carrow Road for the league kick-off.
