Plenty of eyebrows were raised when Newcastle announced Jamal Lewis was heading on loan to Brazilian giants Sao Paulo for the season.
Lewis, who represents Northern Ireland on the international stage, will become the first-ever British player to represent for the club when he inevitably makes his debut.
5
Jamal Lewis has sealed a surprise move from Newcastle to Sao PauloCredit: AFP
At Sao Paulo, who have won the Brazilian Serie A six times, the defender will link up with ex-Tottenham star Lucas Moura as well as former Bayern Munich duo Rafinha and Luiz Gustavo.
As much as Lewis can prepare for the big move, there’s undoubtedly going to be several culture shocks along the way.
Just ask former non-league defender-turned-writer Seth Burkett, who spent time playing professionally in Brazil with Sorriso Esporte Clube (EC) between 2009-2010.
Speaking on talkSPORT’s Hawksbee and Jacobs, the 33-year-old opened up on his bizarre journey of how a teenager from Peterborough ended up in South America.
Burkett discussed how, while playing for Stamford, a Brazilian agent moved to England and began getting involved with the club.
The agent later suggested that Stamford’s under-18s should head to Brazil for a youth football tournament in Salvador.
“It was just an amazing experience,” Burkett told talkSPORT.
However, Burkett detailed how Stamford’s first game proved to be a ‘sobering’ experience, especially given the opposition boasted two future Liverpool superstars in Alisson and Philippe Coutinho.
“Our first game of the tournament was against Brazil’s national team, which was quite sobering for an under-18 non-league team,” Burkett said.
“Alisson was in goal, didn’t get near him, obviously. Coutinho was playing as well. Both were pretty good. Alisson wasn’t really known, but Coutinho had just signed for Inter Milan, so we were told to watch out for him.”
5
Burkett spent time playing in Brazil during his youth
5
He came up against a fresh-faced CoutinhoCredit: getty
5
Burkett says no-one on his team got close to Alisson when they playedCredit: Getty
Although Stamford failed to make much of a splash in the tournament, Burkett was fortunate enough to be asked to train with Brazilian club Vitoria.
From that experience, Sorriso EC, a club located in a state called Mate Grosso, invited Burkett to come back for a season and play for them.
“Initially I went out to play in the Copa Sao Paulo, which is the equivalent of the FA Youth Cup,” Burkett remarked.
Brad Young tells his story of how he was an Aston Villa youth player who was stabbed at 17, but made the move from Cymru Premier to Saudi Arabia side Al Orobah to play with Kurt Zouma but against Cristiano Ronaldo
“After that, not because of how good I was at football, but because I got the club a lot of media attention, they invited me to have a pro contract. I was by far the worst player in the team, but it was just an amazing experience, it really was.”
As the only British professional in Brazil at the time, many asked Burkett why on earth he had wanted to play there, where he insisted it was because of the nation’s grand football history.
But that didn’t stop Burkett from providing a cautionary tale to Lewis, especially when it comes to the inevitable language barrier.
“It was really tough (to adapt),” Burkett stated.
“I was 18 when I moved out there. I thought everyone would speak English. It turned out no-one did.”
It’s not just the language difficulties that may prove to be a culture shock for Lewis.
Burkett opened up about the significant differences in training styles from England to Brazil, hinting that Lewis will spend more time on the grass than ever before.
“Over here (in England), it’s 90 minutes and it’s done,” Burkett said. “The sessions are very long in Brazil, two-and-a-half to three hours, often double sessions.
“In the heat, that can be challenging. I found that in the youth team, everything’s done with the ball. Even when it’s a 40-minute recovery run, you take the ball with you and jog around the pitch.
“In the senior professional team, I found that there wasn’t really much ball work involved at all.”
5
Ex-Spurs star Lucas Moura helped Sao Paulo win the Copa do Brasil last yearCredit: Getty
Burkett also detailed his time spent in Sorriso EC’s academy and what the living conditions were like.
Already a Premier League footballer, Lewis is next to no chance of undergoing a similar experience.
However, it will no doubt give the Northern Ireland international some important perspective about what his new teammates may have gone through.
“The football club I played in, they bought a garage and the whole team lived in this garage, which they turned into a three-bedroom house,” Burkett said.
“28 of us. Bars in the windows, everyone in bunk beds, no doors in toilets, the showers were just one concrete block. They do this on purpose.
“They said to me, ‘In England, your young players get given so much, how can they keep the fire in their bellies, how can they stay motivated?’ Even the best teams in Brazil make their younger players live in these tough conditions so they stay motivated.”
Lewis will join his new teammates after Northern Ireland’s Nations League fixtures against Luxembourg and Bulgaria.
The 26-year-old moves to Brazil having spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Championship side Watford, where he made 38 appearances in all competitions.
Simon Jordan Believes Sandro Tonali Owes Newcastle A Debt After Returning From Ban!
Lewis moved to Newcastle in September 2020 and featured 26 times in his first season at the club.
However, the left-back fell down the pecking order and only played ten times for the Magpies in the following two campaigns.
Al Hilal are reported to have negotiated a £50 million ($AUD99 million deal for the 28-year-old.
“The club can confirm that Aleksandar Mitrovic has this evening left to join Al Hilal in the Saudi Pro League for a club record transfer fee,” Fulham said in a statement.
“The club had reluctantly accepted a revised offer as the player had consistently made his desire to leave known.”
Mitrovic pushed for a move in order to join the growing list of players swapping Europe for a lucrative switch to the Gulf state.
He will be Al Hilal’s latest high-profile signing after their swoops for Neymar, Kalidou Koulibaly, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Ruben Neves and Malcom.
Mitrovic has gone to Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Manchester City have completed the signing of Croatia centre-back Josko Gvardiol on a five-year deal from RB Leipzig, the Premier League champions announced Saturday.
No financial details were revealed but Pep Guardiola’s side are understood to have agreed a fee of €90 million ($AUD150 million) for the Croatia international.
Gvardiol, 21, has impressed in his two seasons at Leipzig which he joined from Dynamo Zagreb in July 2021.
“I have always dreamed of one day playing in England and to be doing so now with Manchester City – after the season they have just had – is a real honour for me,” said Gvardiol of joining a team which won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League last year.
“Anyone who saw Manchester City play last season knows they are the best team in the world. To win the Treble says everything you need to know about the quality this team has.” Gvardiol becomes Man City’s second signing ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, following fellow Croatian international Mateo Kovacic.
Gvardiol has signed for Manchester City. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“To be joining City is something very special for me and my family,” continued Gvardiol.
“To have the chance to work with Pep Guardiola, too, will be amazing for me. “I know I am not yet the finished article and I am sure my game will progress under the best coach in football.
“To be linking up with Mateo Kovacic will also be special. He’s a top footballer and I hope we can both help City achieve another successful season in 2023/24 and then beyond.” Capped 21 times for Croatia, Gvardiol made 87 appearances across two seasons for Leipzig winning back-to-back German Cups.
He won two league titles with Zagreb before moving to the Bundesliga.
PL DONE DEALS
ARSENAL
In
Declan Rice [West Ham] £105m
Kai Havertz [Chelsea] £65m
Jurrien Timber [Ajax] £38m
Out
Granit Xhaka [Bayer Leverkusen] £21m
Pablo Mari [AC Monza] £6m
Nikolaj Moller [FC St. Gallen] Undisclosed
Mazeed Ogungbo [Barrow] Undisclosed
Ben Cottrell [NS Mura] Undisclosed
Mauro Bandeira [Colchester United] Loan
Auston Trusty [Sheffield United] Undisclosed
Tom Smith [Colchester] Free
Ainsley Maitland-Niles [Released]
Matt Smith [Released]
Joel Ideho [Released]
George Lewis [Released]
Tom Smith [Released]
Zach Awe [Released]
Kaleel Green [Released]
Alexandar Kovacevic [Released]
Tino Quamina [Released]
Mathaeus Roberts [Released]
Declan Rice moved to Arsenal for a British record fee. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
ASTON VILLA
In
Pau Torres [Villarreal] £35m
Youri Tielemans [Leicester] Free
Moussa Diaby [Bayer Leverkusen] Undisclosed
Out
Marvelous Nakamba [Luton Town] Undisclosed
Wesley [Stoke City] Undisclosed
Morgan Sanson [Nice] Loan
Kaine Kesler-Hayden [Plymouth Argyle] Loan
Louie Barry [Stockport County] Loan
Finn Azaz [Plymouth] Loan
Ashley Young [Everton] Free
Declan Frith [Released]
Hayden Lindley [Released]
Arjan Raikhy [Released]
Ruben Shakpoke [Released]
Myles Sohna [Released]
Jed Steer [Released]
Brad Young [Released]
Aston Villa broke their transfer fee record to snap up Moussa Diaby from Bayer Leverkusen. (Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
BOURNEMOUTH
In
Justin Kluivert [Roma] Undisclosed
Romain Faivre [Lyon] Undisclosed (sent on loan to Lorient)
Hamed Traore [Sassuolo] £20m
Milos Kerkez [AZ Alkmaar] Undisclosed
Andrei Radu [Inter Milan] Loan
Out
Siriki Dembele [Birmingham] Undisclosed
Jefferson Lerma [Crystal Palace] Free
Jack Stacey [Norwich City] Free
Ben Pearson [Stoke] Undisclosed
Will Dennis [Kilmarnock] Loan
Mark Travers [Stoke] Loan
Junior Stanislas [Released]
Josh Popoola [Released]
Tarik Gidaree [Released]
Matthew Burgess [Released]
Christopher Francis [Released]
Brooklyn Genesini [Released]
BRENTFORD
In
Nathan Collins [Wolves] £23m
Kevin Schade [Freiburg] £22m
Mark Flekken [Freiburg] £11m
Kim Ji-soo [Seongnam] Undisclosed
Ethan Brierley [Rochdale] Undisclosed
Ethan Laidlaw [Hibernian] Undisclosed
Romeo Beckham [Inter Miami] Undisclosed
Erion Zabeli [Oxford United] Free
Out
Pontus Jansson [Malmo] Free
Daniel Oyegoke [Bradford] Loan
Fin Stevens [Oxford] Loan
Matthew Cox [Bristol Rovers] Loan
Paris Maghoma [Bolton] Loan
Tristan Crama [Bristol Rovers] Loan
Ben Winterbottom [Welling] Loan
Alex Gilbert [Middlesbrough] Free
Paris Maghoma [Bolton] Loan
Saman Ghoddos [Released]
Tariqe Fosu [Released]
Joel Valencia [Released]
J’Neil Bennett [Released]
Lachlan Brook [Released]
Nico Jones [Released]
Roco Rees [Released]
Roy Syla [Released]
Lucias Vine [Released]
Collins moved from Wolves to Brentford. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for Premier League)Source: Getty Images
BRIGHTON
In
Joao Pedro [Watford] £30m
Bart Verbruggen [Anderlecht] £16.3m
Igor Julio [Fiorentina] £14.5m
Jacob Slater [Preston North End] Undisclosed
Mahmoud Dahoud [Borussia Dortmund] Free
James Milner [Liverpool] Free
Out
Alexis Mac Allister [Liverpool] £55m
Robert Sanchez [Chelsea] £25m
Antef Tsoungui [Feyenoord] Undisclosed
Taylor Richards [Queens Park Rangers] Undisclosed
Aaron Connolly [Hull] Undisclosed
Kjell Scherpen [Sturm Graz] Loan
Abdallah Sima [Rangers] Loan
James Beadle [Oxford United] Loan
Marc Leonard [Northampton Town] Loan
Jeremy Sarmiento [West Brom] Loan
Carl Rushworth [Swansea] Loan
Ed Turns [Leyton Orient] Loan
Toby Bull [Released]
Billie Clark [Released]
Matthew Everitt [Released]
Teddy Jenks [Forest Green] Free
Todd Miller [Released]
Sam Packham [Released]
Haydon Roberts [Released]
Casey Gabriel-Shann [Released]
Jack Spong [Released]
Fynn Talley [Peterborough] Free
Lorent Tolaj [Released]
Antef Tsoungui [Released]
Ben Wilson [Released]
BURNLEY
In
James Trafford [Manchester City] £19m
Dara O’Shea [West Brom] £7m
Luca Koleosho [Espanyol] £2.6m
Zeki Amdouni [Basel] Undisclosed
Jordan Beyer [Borussia Monchengladbach] Undisclosed
Lawrence Vigouroux [Leyton Orient] Undisclosed
Michael Obafemi [Swansea] Undisclosed
Nathan Redmond [Besiktas] Free
Jacob Bruun Larsen [Hoffenheim] Loan
Out
Ashley Barnes [Norwich] Free
Lewis Thomas [Harrogate] Free
Bailey Peacock-Farrell [AGF Aarhus] Loan
Michael Mellon [Morecambe] Loan
Will Norris [Portsmouth] Free
Lukas Jensen [Lincoln] Free
Luke McNally [Stoke] Loan
CHELSEA
In
Christopher Nkunku [RB Leipzig] £52m
Axel Disasi [Monaco] £38.5m
Nicolas Jackson [Villarreal] £32m
Robert Sanchez [Brighton] £25m
Lesley Ugochukwu [Rennes] £24m
Kendry Paez [Independiente del Valle] Undisclosed
Dujuan Richards [Phoenix All Stars Academy] Undisclosed
Angelo Gabriel [Santos] Undisclosed
Alex Matos [Norwich] Undisclosed
Diego Moreira [Benfica] Undisclosed
Ishe Samuels-Smith [Everton] Undisclosed
Out
Kai Havertz [Arsenal] £65m
Mason Mount [Manchester United] £55m
Christian Pulisic [AC Milan] £20m
Mateo Kovacic [Manchester City] £30m
Ruben Loftus-Cheek [AC Milan] £15m
Kalidou Kouilbay [Al-Hilal] Undisclosed
Edouard Mendy [Al-Ahli] Undisclosed
N’Golo Kante [Al-Ittihad] Free
Cesar Azpilicueta [Atletico Madrid] Free
Ethan Ampadu [Leeds] £7m
David Datro Fofana [Union Berlin] Loan
Dujon Sterling [Rangers] Free
Baba Rahman [PAOK] Free
Derrick Abu [Released]
Prince Adegoke [Released]
Tiemoue Bakayoko [Released]
Nathan Baxter [Bolton] Free
Juan Castillo [Released]
Bryan Fiabema [Released]
Joe Haigh [Released]
Henry Lawrence [Released]
Sam McClelland [Released]
Silko Thomas [Released]
Ethan Wady [Released]
Jayden Wareham [Released]
Charlie Webster [Heerenveen] Loan
Dion Rankine [Exeter] Loan
Nkunku is Chelsea’s big-money signing this summer. (Photo by Mike Stobe / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)Source: AFP
CRYSTAL PALACE
In
Jefferson Lerma [Bournemouth] Free
Out
Wilfried Zaha [Galatasaray] Free
Rob Street [Cheltenham] Free
Luke Plange [Carlisle] Loan
James McArthur [Released]
Luka Milivojevic [Released]
Jack Butland [Rangers] Free
Joshua Addae [Released]
David Boateng [Released]
Ryan Bartley [Released]
Maliq Cadogan [Released]
Reece Hannam [Released]
David Omilabu [Released]
Daniel Quick [Released]
EVERTON
In
Ashley Young [Aston Villa] Free
Arnaut Danjuma [Villarreal] Loan
Out
Ellis Simms [Coventry] £7m
Yerry Mina [Released]
Andros Townsend [Released]
Niels Nkounkou [Saint-Etienne] Undisclosed
Einar Iversen [Released]
Isaac Price [Released]
Tom Davies [Released]
Harry Tyrer [Chesterfield] Loan
Lewis Warrington [Plymouth] Loan
Stanley Mills [Oxford] Loan
FULHAM
In
Raul Jimenez [Wolves] £5m
Calvin Bassey [Ajax] Undisclosed
Willian
Out
Shane Duffy [Norwich] Free
Kieron Bowie [Northampton Town] Loan
Ibane Bowat [TSV Hartberg] Loan
Joe Bryan [Millwall] Free
Thorsteinn Antonsson [Released]
Paulo Gazzaniga [Girona] Free
Sonny Hilton [Released]
Sylvester Jasper [Released]
Neeskens Kebano [Al-Jazira] Free
Ziyad Larkeche [QPR] Free
Jonathon Page [Released]
Steven Sessegnon [Released]
Jean-Pierre Tiéhi [Released]
LIVERPOOL
In
Alexis Mac Allister [Brighton] £35m
Dominik Szoboszlai [RB Leipzig] £60m
Out
Fabinho [Al-Ittihad] Undisclosed
Jordan Henderson [Al-Ettifaq] £12m
Rhys Williams [Aberdeen] Loan
Calvin Ramsay [Preston North End ] Loan
Sepp van den Berg [Mainz] Loan
Fabio Carvalho [RB Leipzig] Loan
Roberto Firmino [Al-Ahli] Free
James Milner [Brighton] Free
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain [Released]
Naby Keita [Werder Bremen] Free
Jack Bearne [Released]
Liam Hughes [Released]
Oscar Kelly [Released]
Fidel O’Rourke [Released]
Oludare Olufunwa [Released]
Leighton Clarkson [Aberdeen] Undisclosed
Harvey Davies [Crewe Alexandra] Loan
Adam Lewis [Newport County] Loan
Owen Beck [Dundee FC] Loan
Anderson Arroyo [FC Andorra] Loan
Dominik Szoboszlai adds plenty of quality to Liverpool’s midfield. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
LUTON TOWN
In
Tahith Chong [Birmingham] £4m
Marvelous Nakamba [Aston Villa] Undisclosed
Ryan Giles [Wolves] Undisclosed
Mads Andersen [Barnsley] Undisclosed
Chiedozie Ogbene [Rotherham United] Free
Issa Kabore [Manchester City] Free
Thomas Kaminski [Luton Town] Undisclosed
Out
Harry Isted [Charlton] Free
Josh Neufville [AFC Wimbledon] Free
Sonny Bradley [Derby] Free
Henri Lansbury [Released]
Fred Onyedinma [Rotherham United]
Elliot Thorpe [Shrewsbury Town] Loan
Jack Walton [Dundee United] Loan
MANCHESTER CITY
In
Josko Gvardiol [RB Leipzig] £77m
Mateo Kovacic [Chelsea] £30m
Spike Brits [AFC Wimbledon] Undisclosed
Out
Riyad Mahrez [Al-Ahil] £30m
James Trafford [Burnley] £19m
Shea Charles [Southampton] £15m
lkay Gundogan [Barcelona] Free
Carlos Borges [Ajax] £17.3m
Terrell Agyemang [Middlesbrough] Free
Finley Burns [Stevenage] Loan
Rowan McDonald [Released]
Benjamin Mendy [Released]
Morgan Rogers [Middlesbrough] Undisclosed
Kian Breckin [Wycombe] Loan
Liam Delap [Hull City] Loan
Callum Doyle [Leicester] Loan
MANCHESTER UNITED
In
Mason Mount [Chelsea] £55m
Andre Onana [Inter Milan] £47m
Jonny Evans [Leicester] Free
Out
Anthony Elanga [Nottingham Forest] £15m
Alex Telles [Al Nassr] Undisclosed
David de Gea [Released]
Zidane Iqbal [Utrecht] £850,000
Ethan Laird [Birmingham City] Undisclosed
Ethan Galbraith [Leyton Orient] Free
Issa Kaboure [Luton Town] Free
Di’Shon Bernard [Sheffield Wednesday] Free
Nathan Bishop [Sunderland] Undisclosed
Will Fish [Hibernian] Loan
Phil Jones [Released]
Axel Tuanzebe [Released]
Di’Shon Bernard [Released]
Eric Hanbury [Released]
Charlie Wellens [Released]
Manni Norkett [Nottingham Forest] Free
Mason Mount moved from Chelsea to Manchester United. (Photo by Mark Runnacles/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
NEWCASTLE UNITED
In
Sandro Tonali [AC Milan] £52m
Harvey Barnes [Leicester] £38m
Yankuba Minteh [Odense Boldklub] Undisclosed
Out
Chris Wood [Nottingham Forest] £15m
Allan Saint-Maximin [Al-Ahli] Undisclosed
Karl Darlow [Leeds] Undisclosed
Matty Bondswell [Newport] Loan
Jamal Lewis [Watford] Loan
Kell Watts [Wigan] Loan
Niall Brookwell [Released]
Ciaran Clark [Released]
Dan Langley [Released]
Matty Longstaff [Released]
Josh Stewart [Released]
Isaac Westendorf [Released]
NOTTINGHAM FOREST
In
Chris Wood [Newcastle] £15m
Anthony Elanga [Manchester United] £15m
Manni Norkett [Manchester United] Free
Ola Aina [Torino] Free
Out
Will Swan [Mansfield] Undisclosed
Braian Ojeda [Real Salt Lake] Undisclosed
Sam Surridge [Nashville SC] Free
Jack Colback [QPR] Free
Cafu [Rotherham] Free
Oli Hammond [Cheltenham Town] Loan
Josh Bowler [Cardiff] Loan
Andre Ayew [Released]
Jesse Lingard [Released]
Jordan Smith [Released]
Lyle Taylor [Released]
Billy Fewster [Released]
Alex Gibson-Hammond [Released]
Ryan Hammon [Released]
SHEFFIELD UNITED
In
Anis Slimane [Brondby] Undisclosed
Benie Traore [Hacken] Undisclosed
Yasser Larouci [Troyes] Loan
Auston Trusty [Arsenal] Undisclosed
Out
Illiman Ndiaye [Marseille] Undisclosed
George Broadbent [Doncaster Rovers] Undisclosed
Jake Eastwood [Grimsby Town] Undisclosed
Harry Boyes [Wycombe] Loan
Jack O’Connell [Released]
Billy Sharp [Released]
Enda Stevens [Stoke] Free
Kyron Gordon [Released]
TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR
In
James Maddison [Leicester City] £40m
Manor Solomon [Shakhtar Donetsk] Free
Guglielmo Vicario [Empoli] Undisclosed
Dejan Kulusevski [Juventus] Undisclosed
Out
Harry Winks [Leicester] £10m
Lucas Moura [Released]
Jamie Bowden [Released]
Kallum Cesay [Released]
Malachi Fagan-Walcott [Released]
Marqes Muir [Released]
England international James Maddison moved to Tottenham. (Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP)Source: AFP
WEST HAM UNITED
In
Sean Moore [Cliftonville] Undisclosed – joining U21 squad
