Newcastle United may be in a prime position to sign Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly this summer as Eddie Howe chases a reunion.
That’s according to reporter Dean Jones, who has told Give Me Sport that Kelly is one of the most likely signings for the Magpies this summer.
Jones claims Kelly is far more likely than a host of other names mentioned in conjunction with Newcastle ahead of the summer window.
“Yeah, of all the names mentioned at Newcastle and of all the different profiles, Lloyd Kelly, I’m told, is one of the most likely to actually join the club,” said Jones.
Kelly worked with Newcastle boss Eddie Howe at Bournemouth and we may see a reunion at St James’ Park this summer.
Howe agreed a deal that saw Bournemouth strike a huge £21million deal with Bristol City in 2019, though a big chunk of that fee is in add-ons.
Kelly only played nine times under Howe but the now-Newcastle boss talked him up as an ‘outstanding’ player with ‘great potential’ for the future.
Now operating as the Bournemouth captain, Kelly has been a key man under Scott Parker this season.
Playing more as a centre back than a left back, Kelly has become a fine leader at such a young age and could skipper the Cherries to promotion.
You have to think that Bournemouth going up would dent Newcastle’s hopes of a deal. Returning to the Premier League would surely mean less pressure on Bournemouth to sell.
Kelly’s contract expires in 2024, so Bournemouth selling this summer may be something of a surprise.
Yet with Howe a huge fan and Newcastle having huge money to spend, the Magpies may be in a position to pull off a deal.
It’s not often you see two left-footed centre backs together, but we could see that at Newcastle if Howe can pair Kelly with Dan Burn.
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