Tottenham, Liverpool stunned, as Newcastle join heated race for £20m Prem defender Howe loves
Tottenham, Liverpool and Newcastle target Lloyd Kelly of Bournemouth
Newcastle are reportedly set to rival Tottenham and Liverpool for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly when the transfer window re-opens in January.
The 24-year-old was the subject of a £20m deadline day bid from Tottenham, but the Cherries rejected this as they had no time to find a replacement.
Kelly’s contract at the Vitality Stadium will expire at the end of the season, and he has no intention of signing an extension. Therefore, Bournemouth may be forced to sell him in January to avoid losing him on a free contract.
The defender will be allowed to speak to foreign clubs about a pre-contract agreement from January 1, but given the level of interest from the Premier League, it’s likely Bournemouth will receive multiple bids for his services.
As mentioned, Tottenham are likely to come back in for Kelly, while Liverpool are also poised to rival the London club for his signature.
Both Ange Postecoglou and Jurgen Klopp are keen on adding another quality centre-back to their respective squads. So, we could see a bidding war between the two clubs. But now, it seems Newcastle could also throw their hat into the ring.
Howe eyes reunion with Kelly
According to Football Insider, Eddie Howe is a huge fan of Kelly and wants to bring in to Newcastle in January.
The Magpies manager knows the defender well, as he was the person who signed him for Bournemouth back in 2019. An ankle ligament injury meant he only played nine times under Howe, however,
Overall, Kelly has made 119 appearances for Bournemouth, scoring two goals and making seven assists in the process. A versatile player, he has the ability to play as a centre-back or left-back, so could provide cover in two positions for his new club.
Tottenham need a permanent replacement for Davinson Sanchez, who has left the London club for Galatasaray. As for Liverpool, they want to sign a left-footed centre-back – something that they currently don’t have at their disposal.
Newcastle, on the other hand, are looking to bring in a new centre-back to provide competition for the likes of Sven Botman and Fabian Schar.
Club captain Jamaal Lascelles has been heavily linked with a departure from St James’ Park, too, so Howe could do with a long-term replacement for him.
With that in mind, it will be interesting to see which of the Premier League trio make the first concrete bid for Kelly in January.
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