Newcastle United transfer news LIVE: Winger’s ‘verbal agreement’, €25m star link
The former AFC Bournemouth defender has not put in a transfer request, but his name has been circulated via intermediaries in the January window due to his lack of game-time. A clutch of clubs with defensive issues have consequently been made aware of their situation.
Fenerbahce were first to bid for Kelly but a paltry offer was way below the asking price of United. Serie A side Juventus have also had Kelly’s name put to them over the weekend but they would have to dig deep to afford him at £25m.
Kelly only arrived on Tyneside in the summer on a free transfer from the Cherries and Newcastle see no point in letting him leave on loan. Head coach Eddie Howe’s stance is to keep the Bristol-born defender he signed at the Vitality Stadium.
However, such as a solid cash offer for a player that cost United nothing six months ago may be too tempting for the club’s financial chiefs. In the world of PSR, selling a star for a big profit would help the club’s summer shopping spree and given Kelly can’t get into Howe’s back four there is a case to sell him from the board.
The risk would be that Newcastle would be short of cover, and given that Irish youngster Alex Murphy is about to sign on loan for Bolton Wanderers in League One, Howe would have a headache if he suffered a spate of defensive injuries. Howe has Sven Botman back now while Blyth lad Dan Burn and Fabian Schar offer him quality options in the middle.
But Jamaal Lascelles won’t be back until March and Kelly right does not represent the perfect back-up player given his wealth of experience.
