Jamal Lewis signs for Watford on loan from Newcastle | OneFootball

Watford have completed the signing of Newcastle United defender Jamal Lewis on a season-long loan with the option to buy him permanently.

The 25-year-old will be the only left-back in Watford’s squad. He hopes to use the opportunity to gain significant playing time and re-establish himself after stalling on Tyneside.

Lewis started his career at Luton Town before joining Norwich City’s academy. He broke into Norwich’s senior team, debuting in 2017.

He was crucial in Norwich’s 2018/19 promotion-winning efforts and made the Championship Team of the Year at the end of the season.

After climbing into the Premier League, Norwich immediately suffered relegation to the Championship, but Lewis featured 28 times. He impressed enough for Newcastle to pay £15 million to sign him.

However, he has struggled to establish himself with the Magpies, making only 36 appearances for the club.

Newcastle already have three left-backs in their squad – Dan Burn, Matt Targett and Paul Dummett – and Lewis was surplus to requirements.

He has joined the Hornets for the upcoming season and hopes to make a solid impact on Valerien Ismael’s team.

The signing comes only two days after FIFA removed the temporary transfer ban imposed on Watford.

FIFA had placed the club under a ban after a claim by the Megamu Football Academy in Nigeria that they were owed an outstanding payment for striker Samuel Kalu.

Megamu Academy raised the matter with FIFA, and the Football Association (FA) hit Watford with a transfer ban.

However, the money was a paltry sum, and Watford quickly resolved the issue to have the ban lifted.

Watford have now added Lewis to their squad, and he becomes their fifth summer signing after Rhys Healy, Tom Ince, Jake Livermore and Giorgi Chakvetadze.