Eddie Howe has been the driving factor behind Newcastle United chasing a summer move for 25-year-old Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.
According to a report by talkSPORT, Lloyd Kelly is the subject of interest from Newcastle United. Eddie Howe has pushed the Tyneside outfit to sign the 25-year-old when he leaves fellow Premier League club Bournemouth as a free agent as he wants to reunite with the versatile defender in the summer transfer window.
Lloyd Kelly and his Bournemouth journey
Lloyd Kelly has been top-notch for Bournemouth since arriving from Bristol City in July 2019. A native of Bristol, the Englishman graduated from the Bristol City youth division before breaking into the club’s first-team squad. However, he has risen in prominence during his stint with the Cherries in the last half a decade.
The 25-year-old has turned out nearly 150 times thus far for Bournemouth, chipping in with three goals and eight assists. However, Kelly’s stint with the Premier League club will end when the summer transfer window opens as his contract expires on July 1. Such a situation has not gone unnoticed, capturing the attention of several high-profile top-flight clubs.
Several Premier League clubs were also interested in securing Kelly’s services in the last two transfer windows, with Tottenham Hotspur lodging an offer during the summer. However, a move did not materialise, even though they represented Bournemouth’s final chances of recouping something from his sale. Meanwhile, Kelly’s impending free-agent status has alerted many teams, including Newcastle United.
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Newcastle United’s interest in Lloyd Kelly is understandable. The Magpies are scouring the market for multiple centre-backs heading into the summer transfer window, with Eddie Howe losing Jamaal Lascelles, Sven Botman, and Fabian Schar to long-term injuries that will stretch until nearly the halfway stage of the 2024/25 season.
So, it behoves Newcastle United to pursue several centre-backs, with Kelly emerging as a viable target. Recent reports have claimed that the Magpies are the front-runners to sign the 25-year-old Englishman, who has reportedly signalled his intention to move to St. James’ Park. And Eddie Howe is driving Newcastle United’s move for the Bournemouth defender.
Howe wants to reunite with the English defender at St. James’ Park this summer. So, it is hardly surprising that the Magpies have pushed for Kelly’s signature. It will be interesting to see if they can beat the competition for the Bournemouth defender in the coming weeks.
