Matt Targett was only added to the Newcastle United team on loan but that could spell long term danger for Jamal Lewis.
In the January transfer market, Aston Villa pulled off a surprise move for Lucas Digne when he fell out of favour at Everton. After completing the deal, they had a left-back they didn’t need.
So, Newcastle swooped and signed Targett on loan and since then he’s been the number one choice for the Magpies at fullback.
And, even though his deal will only keep him to the club until the end of the season, considering his current form, it seems like NUFC may be tempted to make that move a permanent one in the summer.
Interestingly, it’s been claimed that the money is there for Newcastle to complete a deal for the defender in the summer.
So let’s compare him with the man he’s keeping out of the team.
Matt Targett
It certainly does seem as though Targett has hit the ground running at his new club. Indeed, according to WhoScored ratings, he is the third-highest ranked January transfer signing behind fellow teammate Kieran Trippier and then Liverpool ace Luis Diaz.
When comparing him directly with Lewis (via FBREF), across both players’ domestic league careers, Targett seems to be the more dangerous fullback from an attacking sense. The Villa loanee has four goals and 11 assists in 147 senior outings, while the Northern Ireland man has one goal and five assists in 121 games.
This attacking ability is reflected in Targett’s superior shot-creating actions per game, as well as the fact that he attempts more passes, and also sometimes takes corner kicks – Lewis never takes corners.
Jamal Lewis
After the influx of new signings like Targett and Trippier, Lewis was actually left out of the Newcastle squad for the remainder of the season – having made just five league appearances up to that point.
However, when you compare the duo, it is interesting to see that the 24-year-old makes more tackles per game (though the margin is just a 0.12 difference) and he pressures the opposition with more regularity.
Other than that, defensively, Targett makes more blocks and interceptions on average and also tackles position players when dribbling with the ball more often.
Perhaps the most relevant stat is that across their league careers, the Villa loanee picks up an average of 1.42 points per game, while Lewis gets just 1.35 – it’s a small margin but those margins can be key in the Premier League.
Does Jamal Lewis have a future at NUFC?
Yes
No
TIF Vedrict
Looking at the way Targett has settled in so well at Newcastle, it seems rather unlikely that Newcastle would be willing to let him go back to Aston Villa in favour of Lewis.
Of course, they may not be able to get a deal agreed upon, but it seems probable that Eddie Howe would want the 26-year-old Villan in his side ahead of the current squad outcast.
And, as seen in their underlying stats mentioned above, Targett does look like the superior player.
Taking it all into account, it’s hard to believe Lewis will have a career at Newcastle in the long term – at least, certainly not as the first-choice left-back.
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