Liverpool have reportedly joined Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly in January, as per Football Insider.
After enduring a dire campaign last term, it was thought that the Merseyside club would look to strengthen their engine room and defence last summer to challenge on all fronts once again this season.
However, although they opted to revamp their midfield department by purchasing four new players, they didn’t make a move for anyone to reinforce their defence.
Liverpool have continued to struggle defensively during the early stages of this term as they have found it difficult to keep a clean-sheet. So, it appears the Merseyside club are now planning to address that problem next year.
Battle
According to the report by Football Insider, Liverpool are looking to sign a new centre-back in January and have identified Kelly as a serious target.
The report further claims that the defender has entered the final year of his current contract and Bournemouth could opt to let their star man leave in January to recoup some fee. So, Klopp’s side could manage to secure his signature in a cut-price deal in the winter window if they make a concrete approach.
However, Football Insider states that Tottenham are also keen on signing him and along with the North London club, Serie A giants, AC Milan are also eyeing a swoop for the Englishman. So, Liverpool are set to face fierce competition from their rivals in getting any potential deal done for the defender.
Kelly, standing at 6ft 3in tall, is a versatile player as he is a centre-back by traits but can also be deployed in the left-back position. He is comfortable playing out from the back, is good in the air, possesses the recovery pace to play in the high defensive line and is also efficient in defensive contributions.
The 25-year-old – valued at around £15m by Transfermarkt – is a talented player and could be a solid signing for Liverpool or Tottenham if either club manage to secure his signature in the upcoming transfer window.
However, it is going to be interesting to see who will eventually win the race to sign Kelly if the Lilywhites go head-to-head with the Reds over this deal in January.
