Newcastle United are reportedly lining up a £12 million summer move for Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly.
According to The Express, Newcastle United are showing serious interest in Lloyd Kelly. Eddie Howe is keen to reunite with the defender and could spearhead a £12 million move for him in the summer transfer window.
After being appointed the Newcastle manager in November 2021, Howe has dragged the club out of the relegation zone. A lot of Newcastle’s improvement in form can be attributed to their January signings. The likes of Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Bruno Guimaraes joined the club in the winter transfer window and more incomings are expected in the summer.
Under Howe’s management, Newcastle United have lost just two of their last 10 Premier League matches and are currently 14th in the table, nine points above the relegation zone. With the Magpies expected to avoid the drop this season, they have now shifted their focus towards the summer transfer window.
The new owners are eager to take the Tyneside outfit back to their former glory and are prepared to fund a summer overhaul. 23-year-old Lloyd Kelly has been identified as a potential signing who could take the club forward.
The current central defenders at Newcastle include Jamaal Lascelles, Fabian Schar, Dan Burn, Ciaran Clark and Federico Fernandez, all of whom are 28 or older. Kelly could provide some much-needed youthful energy to their defence.
The 23-year-old was signed by Eddie Howe at Bournemouth when the English tactician was still with them in 2019. The manager left just a year later, but that did not affect Kelly’s spot in the side. Since joining Bournemouth, Kelly has made 82 appearances for them, scoring twice and assisting five goals.
He has started 30 of the 31 Championship games that he has been fit for this season, keeping 13 clean sheets. He has even captained the Cherries on multiple occasions. The Express report claims that Newcastle are preparing a £12 million move for the English defender.
With Bournemouth all but certain to regain promotion to the Premier League under manager Scott Parker, it remains to be seen if Kelly reunites with Howe at Newcastle.
