Juventus are very close to signing Newcastle United defender Lloyd Kelly in Turin. The player is expected to join the Italian club, as according to English media, the teams have found a financial agreement between them. It is a loan deal, with an obligation to buy at the end of the season, which is expected to cost Juventus around 15 million pounds. Italian media have meanwhile announced that very soon, the defender will undergo medical examinations in Turin and the agreement could be formalized at the weekend.
Newcastle manager Eddie Howe said on Friday that the club has no desire to sell Kelly, or any other player, but acknowledged the possibility of players leaving. The manager said:
"Up until this moment, I don't believe (that there will be departures). But anyway, things can change...at this moment I expect the team to remain the same."
Even a few weeks ago, Howe spoke specifically about Lloyd, calling him an important part of the team:
"I've seen some of the speculation about Lloyd. We haven't had any offers that the club has to make a decision on. Lloyd is an integral part of what we're doing, from my perspective."
However, it seems that things have changed, and coach Howe will have more limited options in central defence. For now, the technician can rely on Dan Burn, Sven Botman and Fabian Schar in central defence. Jamaal Lascelles is injured and is expected to return in March, while Alex Murphy is on loan at Bolton Wanderers and cannot return to Newcastle until the end of the season.
It remains to be seen whether Newcastle will bring a replacement for Lloyd to St. James Park before the winter transfer window closes, or whether manager Howe will rely on his current players.
