Noel Whelan predicts Lewis will ‘not be part of the squad’ next season

Jamal Lewis was controversially left out of Newcastle United’s 25-man Premier League squad for Matt Targett and reports suggested he would be loaned out to a Turkish Super Lig side but nothing has materialised.

The 24-year-old has been at Newcastle for little over 18 months but may have played his last game for the club after Eddie Howe’s snub. Lewis wasn’t commanding a regular starting place before Targett came in, so he’s fallen further down the pecking order.

Noel Whelan believes the decision means Howe wants Lewis gone permanently and says a loan move might help the left-back continue his development if not at St James Park.

He told Football Insider: “You want to finish the season on a high with some momentum and confidence in your game. Now (Lewis has) not been selected in the squad, he’s not going to do that at Newcastle. He knows the score. He needs to get himself out on loan.

“I’m sure Eddie Howe won’t stand in the way of Jamal Lewis. It seems to me that they have made their mind up already. He’s not going to be part of their squad next year, I don’t think. This spells the end of his Newcastle career.

“I expect Howe will already be lining up much better in that position if they stay in the Premier League. Now it’s about consolidating your career and going somewhere else.”

Lewis joined the Magpies on a five-year deal from Norwich City in 2020 and has gone on to make 32 appearances in all competitions. The Northern Ireland international, who boasts 23 caps for his country, has featured in only 6/26 games across the board this season.

Matt Ritchie has been a regular at left-back and Paul Dummett has played in Newcastle’s last two league games, so there’s no place for Lewis. Whether he’ll have one last chance to prove himself over the summer remains to be seen, but it’s clear he’s the least favoured option out of the four players.