Newcastle United are desperate to land a left-sided centre-back to St James’ Park this summer following the long-term lay off of Sven Botman

Newcastle United are hoping to have the edge when it comes to signing AFC Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly this summer.

The 25-year-old will leave the Cherries this summer after reaching the end of his contract at the Vitality Stadium. The left-sided centre-back is deemed as a perfect replacement for the injured United star Sven Botman.

And while Kelly has a number of Premier League clubs keen on his signature, including Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool and overseas sides like Monaco and Stuttgart, the defender would be signing for a manager he knows well in Eddie Howe.

Before Howe left Bournemouth he made his feelings on Kelly clear after spotting him at Bristol City then paying a bargain £13million for his signature. Howe said in 2020: “With Lloyd, I truly believe he’s got everything he needs to be a top, top player. His career is out in front of him. If he can stay free from injury, then he can achieve so many great things.”

With Newcastle chiefs wary of FFP and PSR rules, it is clear that they could do with a high profile free transfer like Kelly to free up funds for elsewhere in their recruitment programme. United have been taking a long look at centre-backs in recent weeks but with hours and hours of research already put in by scout Andy Howe from his Bournemouth days, United’s management team know they have an easy win on the cards if they can clinch his signature.