Newcastle United have agreed a five-year contract with Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.
Kelly is anticipated to bear a medical and signal the deal, which incorporates an possibility to increase by 12 months, this week.
The 25-year-old will formally turn into a free agent when his Bournemouth phrases expire on June 30, with the south-coast membership confirming his exit following the tip of the 2023-24 season.
Newcastle have been eager to finalise a deal for Kelly after lacking out on one other defensive goal in Tosin Adarabioyo, who has joined Chelsea on a free switch from Fulham.
There had been European curiosity in Kelly however the Englishman will as an alternative reunite with Eddie Howe, who took him to Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2019.
Kelly’s potential to play at left-back and centre-back was enticing to Newcastle, who had wished each him and Tosin resulting from Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles each being out with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) accidents. Kelly leaves Bournemouth having made 141 appearances for the membership in 5 years.
Howe’s aspect are additionally in talks with Burnley over the signing of James Trafford. Newcastle are eager to recruit a youthful goalkeeper to behave as deputy to Nick Pope and to problem him in the long run, following Loris Karius’ exit and with Martin Dubravka showing more and more prone to depart.
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‘Lack of fee made Kelly an attractive option’
Analysis by Newcastle correspondent Chris Waugh
Centre-back may be very a lot Newcastle’s precedence place to strengthen this summer time given the long-term knee accidents suffered by Lascelles and Botman.
Having missed out on Tosin Adarabioyo to Chelsea, Newcastle have been decided to safe Kelly’s signature, given he’s somebody Howe is aware of after taking the defender to Bournemouth in 2019, in addition to the very fact he’s versatile and may play as a centre-half or left-back.
The lack of a switch payment made Kelly an particularly enticing possibility, with Newcastle needing to fulfill the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability guidelines (PSR), in addition to conduct vital incoming enterprise. A goalkeeper is needed — with talks having opened with Burnley for Trafford — whereas a right-sided ahead and a striker are additionally being sought. Another defender can also be acquired.
(AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth through Getty Images)
