Bombshell transfer claim just days after Newcastle United confirm agreement
Newcastle United have only recently agreed to sell the player.
Lloyd Kelly is joining Juventus permanently from Newcastle United but reports in Italy claim the Serie A giants are already looking to sell him.
The 26-year-old joined Juventus on an initial loan deal in January with an obligation to make the arrangement permanent this summer, if certain performance-related criteria was met.
It was first thought that a move was dependent on Juve qualifying for Europe, which they did after pipping Roma to fourth place to qualify for the Champions League. However, it is understood that the criteria was indeed appearance-based.
Kelly started 14 of his 16 matches and missed two others due to a hamstring injury. He is now preparing to play at the Club World Cup in the USA later this month as The Old Lady face UAE side Al Ain, Moroccan outfit Wydad AC and Manchester City.
Newcastle United confirm Lloyd Kelly permanent transfer
The defender’s transfer was officially confirmed on Friday when Newcastle published its retained list. It read: “Lloyd Kelly’s loan move to Juventus will become a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee on 30th June.”
While the club listed the fee as “undisclosed”, the transfer is understood to be worth £20million.
Kelly moved to St James’ Park on a free transfer from AFC Bournemouth last summer but was limited to just 14 appearances before making the winter switch to Italy. Head coach Eddie Howe, who also signed Kelly for Bournemouth in 2017, did not want to lose the player but understood the financial aspect.
“It wasn’t necessarily my decision to let him leave,” Howe said. “I think it's very reluctant from our side because Lloyd's a player that just recently signed and we believed in him and his qualities.
“[It is] slightly frustrating for him that he hadn't played more, but in part that is due to the form of the other players around him.
“But I think we're in the world and we have been this window of trying to manage PSR [Premier League Profitability and Sustainability Rules] and trying to make decisions that benefit us in the long term. And this is one of those decisions.
“Lloyd leaves with our best wishes. He's certainly had an exemplary attitude in his time here. I'm sure he'll do well in Italy and it's an exciting new challenge for him.”
Lloyd Kelly’s move to Juventus short-lived?
Italian media outlets have been harsh to Kelly since making the switch with Gazzetta dello Sport writer Mimmo Cugini calling him the “most disastrous signing in the history of Juventus”.
Now, a journalist from the same publication, Giovanni Albanese, has claimed the Old Lady are ‘ready to put Kelly back on the transfer market’ having not been convinced by his loan spell.
Albanese wrote on X: "Juventus is ready to put Kelly back on the transfer market; he hasn’t convinced, so exit options will be considered."
Kelly moved to Juventus when Thiago Motta was manager, though he was swiftly sacked and replaced by Igor Tudor. The Croatian initially took over on an interim basis before being confirmed as permanent boss this week.