Liverpool could reportedly join Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly in the January window, as per the transfer insider Dean Jones.
After struggling with their defensive issues last term, Spurs have opted to address that issue by signing Micky van de Ven in the recently concluded summer window.
However, they were seemingly looking to add another centre-back before the deadline. Kelly was mentioned as a serious target and the North London club even submitted an official £20m proposal to secure his signature. However, Bournemouth rejected that proposal and in the end, they managed to keep hold of their star man.
Having failed to sign Kelly this summer, Tottenham could opt to reignite their interest in him as they are reportedly planning to sign a new defender in January.
However, speaking to GiveMeSport, Jones has reported that Liverpool are also looking to strengthen their defence and they could opt to make a move for Kelly in winter. So, Spurs are set to face tough competition from the Merseyside club in getting any potential deal done for the Englishman.
Battle
When asked whether Liverpool could look to sign Kelly in January, Jones said:
“Yeah, I mean, there’s a possibility that Liverpool could join the race on that one. It’s a bit of a strange situation in the way that it kind of fizzled out at the end of the transfer window, and Tottenham were obviously the hottest link to him at that point.
“But when you consider what Liverpool might be needing in the January transfer window as they start to tweak the squad, it wouldn’t be a complete surprise at all if they were mentioned again in the Lloyd Kelly conversation.”
Liverpool struggled with their leaky defence last term so it was thought that they could look to strengthen their backline this summer. However, surprisingly they only focused on revamping the engine room and didn’t sign anyone to bolster the backline.
But, it appears they could decide to make a move for a new centre-back in January as Jurgen Klopp’s side are interested in Kelly.
The Bournemouth star – valued at around £16m by Transfermarkt – has entered the final year of his current contract and hasn’t signed an extension yet. So, Liverpool or Tottenham could manage to sign him in a cut-price deal in January if he doesn’t sign a renewal over the coming months.
The 24-year-old has showcased glimpses of his talent in the Premier League in recent times so he could be a solid signing for Spurs or Liverpool if either club acquire his service.
However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the Reds or the Lilywhites eventually decide to formalise their interest in signing him in the upcoming window.
