Lloyd Kelly, the former Eddie Howe signing who is expected to be a free agency this summer, is a defender that Newcastle United is interested in signing.
Due to ACL injuries, Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles will not be available until September at the latest, thus the Magpies will be looking to improve their defensive options during the upcoming transfer window.
This implies that United will start the 2024–25 season without two of its senior center defenders, leaving merely Paul Dummett, Dan Burn, and Fabian Schar, the latter of whom is now out of contract in the upcoming months.
Additionally, Kelly—whom Howe signed to Bournemouth in 2019—has become a target. The 25-year-old has until the end of June to sign his current deal, and HITC claims he has rejected the Cherries’ most recent offer.
Kelly may have piqued the interest of Italian powerhouses AC Milan and Juventus as well as Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, but Newcastle is said to be the front-runner.
Kelly began his professional career at Bristol City of the Championship, where he made 48 appearances before moving for £13 million to Bournemouth as a 20-year-old.
The South Coast team has seen the former England under-21 international play 136 times, and he captained them throughout their 2021–2022 promotion return to the Premier League.
When you take into account the impact Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) will again have this summer, it would make a lot of sense for Newcastle to get Kelly on a free transfer. Kelly is versatile, experienced, and can play at left or center back.
Kelly’s inconsistent injury history, however, should be noted as it has cost him 29 games during the last two Premier League seasons. Howe’s team will want to avoid a repeat of any kind the following season because they have suffered greatly from injuries this campaign.
