Just 18 months ago, Jamal Lewis would have been dreaming of a move to Liverpool.
Had it not been for Norwich City’s stubbornness, he could well have found himself representing the Reds, with the left-back the first player Liverpool moved for to serve as understudy to Andy Robertson at the start of last season.
The Reds had made a £10m offer for the Northern Ireland international only to see the Canaries stand firm on their £20m asking price, prompting Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards to turn their attentions elsewhere despite the defender’s desire to join their ranks.
Instead, they brought in Kostas Tsimikas with the Greek signing from Olympiacos in an £11.75m deal in August 2020.
The following month Lewis would sign for Newcastle United for an initial £13.5m, penning a five-year contract with the Magpies. At the time, such a switch perhaps looked a better career move for the 24-year-old. He could at least be first-choice at St. James’ Park after all.
And he indeed started last season in Steve Bruce’s starting XI, making 20 Premier League starts before losing his place for the final two months of the campaign. He was faring better than Tsimikas, at least, with the Greek featuring for just six minutes in his first season in the English top-flight following his move to Anfield.
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It would have been easy to dismiss the 25-year-old as a budget signing that just hadn’t worked out, with the defender finding himself linked with a swift move away from Liverpool as a result, prompting Reds insiders to praise his efforts in training when insisting he remained part of Klopp’s plans despite limited game-time and speculation regarding his future.
Yet even though Robertson’s place as first-choice at Liverpool remains unmoved a further half-season down the line, with the 27-year-old arguably the best left-back in the world, the Reds’ transfer decision now looks more than vindicated following a change of fortunes both on Merseyside and Tyneside.
The Scotland captain has been back to his best in recent weeks after a shaky start to the season following his involvement at Euro 2020 and a pre-season injury which opened the door to Tsimikas back in the summer.
The Greek grabbed his opportunity with both hands as he made up for lost time, to the extent that it is only since Robertson’s return to the side following suspension, after getting sent off against Tottenham Hotspur in December, that he has managed to seemingly shake off suggestions he should lose his place to Tsimikas. For now.
While the Scot is holding onto his place, the two left-backs are both thriving from the competition and have 11 assists between them so far this season.
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Meanwhile, Tsimikas has comfortably beaten his appearance and minutes totals of last season, with his 16 outings and 1,057 minutes already over double what he managed last year.
He might face an uphill battle to usurp Robertson in the pecking order anytime soon, but he has ensured that Liverpool have no qualms about him starting the biggest games in domestic and continental action, and aren’t weakened when the Scot is missing and can rotate between the two whenever necessary.
But as Tsimikas is enjoying the best spell of his Reds career, and looks likely to start this weekend against Cardiff City in the FA Cup, Lewis’ time at Newcastle has sunk to a new low.
Having fallen out of favour under new manager Eddie Howe, he was left out of the Magpies’ 25-man squad for the Premier League for the remainder of the season. With Newcastle out of both domestic cup competitions, as things stand his senior club campaign is over.
The 24-year-old was one of three senior players axed from Howe’s squad, along with Ciaran Clark and Isaac Hayden, after Howe brought in Dan Burn and Matt Targett on transfer deadline day, following the arrivals of Bruno Guimaraes, Kieran Trippier and Chris Wood.
Lewis took to Instagram to seemingly share his disappointment at his snub, before it had been made public, posting a cryptic greyed out picture of him in Northern Ireland tracksuit in training, staring dismayed up into the heavens as rain poured down.
What his absence means for his international hopes remains to be seen.
Lewis was handed the chance to join Championship side Birmingham City on loan in the final stages of the window but politely declined. However, he could still move on, despite the English window now being closed, with Trabzonspor reportedly interested in his services ahead of the Turkish market closing on February 8.
Either way, his long-term Newcastle United future is very much in doubt after being left out of Howe’s squad, with the arrivals of Targett and Burn meaning the Magpies currently have six players ahead of him in the pecking order capable of playing left-back or left wing-back.
Should he move on, his final appearance for the club will ironically have taken place at Anfield, with the defender limping off with a hamstring injury after just 15 minutes when making only his fourth Premier League start of the season in mid-December.
In the past after missing out on targets, Liverpool have been known to reignite their interest with Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk two of the most high-profile cases, and Fabio Carvalho likely to follow suit in the summer.
Whenever Lewis leaves Newcastle, he will not be afforded such a privilege. Tsimikas has ensured the Reds no longer have a ‘left-back’ problem and, barring either the Greek or Robertson looking to leave, will not need to sign a new one for a number of years.
There might have been doubts about him last year but Edwards and the rest of Liverpool’s scouting department can pat themselves on the back after unearthing another hidden gem of a signing.
The fact Tsimikas joined for just £11.75m, after Norwich had turned down £10m and £12m bids for Lewis due to their £20m asking-price, sweetens the deal in hindsight even more.
In contrast, Lewis is left to wonder what could have been had the Canaries relented when the Reds’ came calling, and now faces the prospect of half a season ineligible and in limbo.
Having seen a potential dream move replaced with one that has turned into a nightmare, he’ll be hoping the next time he moves clubs, he’ll be able to reignite his fortunes and showcase the form that brought him to Liverpool’s attentions in the first place.
