Tottenham Hotspur are closely monitoring Juventus centre-back Lloyd Kelly over a possible summer move, according to Ekrem Konur.
Kelly came through the ranks at Bristol City before joining Bournemouth in 2029, a move that has also seen Antoine Semenyo take the same path, having come through Bristol’s academy.
The centre-back played a pivotal role in the Cherries’ promotion to the Premier League and remained a mainstay in the squad, featuring in 141 games across all competitions.
His displays in the top flight piqued the interest of several clubs before Newcastle United won the race to sign him in the summer of 2024 on a free transfer.
However, things didn’t go to plan at St James’ Park, no thanks to injuries, as he only made 14 appearances for the Tyneside club before departing on loan to join Juventus last summer.
Having impressed in his initial stint, the Italian giants made his switch permanent this summer, and he has since been a mainstay in the first team, featuring in 22 of the Bianconeri’s 25 Serie A games and seven of their eight Champions League games, with his performances attracting interest from several clubs.
According to Konur, Tottenham have joined other Premier League clubs to show interest in Kelly and are closely monitoring the 27-year-old ahead of a possible summer move.
While Juventus are not considering his departure, the 36-time Italian champions have placed a valuation on the 6ft 2in centre-back in between £34 and £43m amid interest from Spurs, according to the report.
Battle
However, the North London club are not alone in the race for Kelly, according to Konur, who claims that Premier League rivals Liverpool and Chelsea are also keeping tabs on the former England U21 star ahead of next summer.
Despite significant investment last summer, Tottenham now find themselves in 16th place in the Premier League and just five points above 18th-placed West Ham United in the relegation zone.
Their poor run of seven wins and 11 defeats in 26 games led to the departure of Thomas Frank, with Igor Tudor now appointed on an interim basis until the end of the season.
Champions League football now seems out of reach unless they achieve the enormous task of winning the competition. This could lead to some high-profile departures, like club captain Cristian Romero.
Should he depart, Kelly would be a good option to replace him, as he’s Premier League-proven and possesses similar ball efficiency, combativeness in defence, and less erraticness, making him an even more appealing choice.
