‘24 hours’ - Eddie Howe states Newcastle United on verge of announcing deal for £15 million full-back

Newcastle United are set to announce the departure of full-back Jamal Lewis to Watford 'in the next 24 hours'.

The Magpies signed the full-back for £15 million from Norwich in 2020 under Steve Bruce with the defender touted as an exciting future prospect at the age of 22 years old. Lewis had been tracked by the likes of Liverpool at the time before Newcastle United managed to land the star.

Now 25, Lewis has struggled to make an impact since Eddie Howe took over in 2021 and made just two Premier League appearances from the bench over the campaign.

Lewis has been travelling with the squad in the United States but did not feature against Aston Villa having appeared in friendlies with Rangers and Gateshead in the UK.

Speaking to the media ahead of the meeting with Chelsea in the Premier League Summer Series, Howe gave an update as to the progress of Lewis' move to Championship-side Watford, having also been linked with a move to Swansea City.

Howe said: "Jamal Lewis is probably the nearest to securing a loan move to Watford. That is closest in the pipeline and that will get done in the next 24 hours.”

The Hornets have already completed the signings of Tom Ince from Reading, Rhys Healy from Toulouse and Jake Livermore from West Brom this summer after finishing 11th in the Championship last season.

The club are managed by Valérien Ismaël after the departure of Chris Wilder from Vicarage Road at the end of the last campaign. It's unclear yet whether Watford will have the opportunity to turn Lewis' on a permanent deal following the end of his loan spell.

The full-back has pedigree in the Championship, having made 64 appearances in the second division for Norwich, winning two EFL Young Player of the Month awards. He was also included in the 2018/19 PFA Championship Team of the Year following a promotion campaign with the Canaries.