£15m man confirms Newcastle United U-turn as January transfer clause triggered

As previously reported by The Gazette, Lewis suffered an ankle injury in late 2024 that required surgery and limited him to just three starts for the Brazilian club. Lewis joined Sao Paulo on a season-long loan with an option to make the deal permanent when his contract at Newcastle expires in June 2025.

But a clause in Lewis’ loan agreement between Newcastle and Sao Paulo has been triggered which will see him return to his parent club in January to continue his rehabilitation process.

Following the opening of the January transfer window, Lewis confirmed his departure from Sao Paulo on social media.

“I'm disappointed that I won't be able to continue my journey with São Paulo FC next season,” he wrote (translated from Portuguese). “I've been having an issue that's been giving me a lot of pain when I've been playing for months, requiring surgery and a few months of recovery.

“Sorry, I couldn't show my gratitude to the fans for showing my true level on the pitch. I wish the Tricolor all the best in the future!”

Lewis spent last season on loan at Championship side Watford, who turned down an option to make the deal permanent in the summer prior to his loan move to Sao Paulo. The 26-year-old featured for Newcastle in pre-season but his last competitive appearance for the club came as a substitute in May 2023.

Since joining The Magpies from Norwich City for £15million in 2020, Lewis has made 36 appearances for the club in all competitions. Despite technically returning to the club, his injury and expiring contract mean he has almost certainly already played his last game for Newcastle.