An update has emerged on Newcastle United and their interest in Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly in the summer transfer window...
What's the talk?
According to The Telegraph's Luke Edwards, Dan Ashworth is plotting a swoop for the £13m centre-back if he is unable to seal a deal for his main target in the coming days.
He Tweeted: "Lille have a decision to make on Sven Botman this week. I agree with the way #nufc have reacted to them driving up asking price. They either accept the £30m bid or Newcastle move on to other targets. Lloyd Kelly and Nathan Ake two others on list. There are others playing abroad."
Eddie Howe's own Aymeric Laporte
The Premier League PFA Team of the Year was announced recently and one player hinted at his frustration at not being selected.
Manchester City's Aymeric Laporte posted a GIF of Jose Mourinho saying "I prefer not to speak", suggesting that he felt he deserved to make the cut.
The Spain international, who can play at both centre-back and left-back, averaged an excellent SofaScore rating of 7.12 in 33 top-flight appearances. He was consistently brilliant throughout the campaign for the title-winners but just missed out on being one of the best two players in his position, according to his peers.
In Kelly, Ashworth can land Howe his own version of Laporte as they are both versatile left-footed defenders built in the same mould.
Spennymoor Town boss Anthony Johnson once dubbed the Cityzens man a "Rolls Royce" of a defender and ex-Cherries manager Jonathan Woodgate used "Rolls Royce" to describe the Englishman. This suggests that both players are modern-day, quick, defenders who stroll around the pitch with ease.
In the 2021/22 Championship campaign, the Bournemouth man averaged a superb SofaScore rating of 7.04 across 41 appearances. He delivered top-quality performances on a consistent basis in the second tier and may now be ready to make the step up.
Like Laporte, Kelly can play at left-back and centre-back as a left-footed defender and this means that Howe can deploy him as a full-back if he ever needs cover in that area of the pitch. He can play as a centre-back in a back four, as a left-back centre-back in a back three or as a conventional full-back in a four.
Therefore, Ashworth sealing a deal for the 23-year-old will result in Howe having his own version of the Manchester City centre-back at St. James' Park next season.