So how did Lewis become the first British player to sign for the Brazilian giants? Once he heard there was interest, he said it was a “no-brainer”.
“It was the night our window shut, my agent informed me that Sao Paulo could be interested and he said it could move quite quickly,” explained Lewis, who spent last season on loan at Watford.
“I’ve always been one to test myself. I’ve never wanted to stay and then look back on my career and think ‘what if I did this’ or ‘what if I did that’, so I think this will pay dividends and hopefully will be the start of a great journey.”
Lewis, who broke into senior football with Norwich City before moving to Newcastle in 2020, said he had offers to remain in the UK but he always had ambitions to play abroad.
He admits his Portuguese is “minimal” but is using language apps and will enlist the services of a teacher to help him settle at his new club as quickly as possible.
“Obviously the club is very historic and even though I haven’t stepped onto the pitch yet, the fans have shown the passion and love they have for their club.
“Some people probably thought it was quite random and out of the blue, and I can’t argue with that, but if Sao Paulo were interested in my profile as a player and I’m interested in representing such a big club, it could be the start of a great journey.
“When this came up I grabbed it with both hands.”
After the international window, Lewis hopes to be available to Sao Paulo’s game with Atletico Mineiro on 13 September.
Despite joining on loan, Lewis is hopeful that the move will be the start of a long journey in South America. His contract with Newcastle expires at the end of the Premier League season, and he accepts his time at St James’ Park is likely coming to an end.
“I’ve spoken to the manager [Eddie Howe], I’m in my last year and I’ve done a season-long loan, so that kind of has the writing on the wall there.
“But if Sao Paulo can be my long-term home for the long-term future, that would be amazing.”