Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly planning to accelerate their efforts to sign Liverpool target and Bournemouth star Lloyd Kelly this summer, as per Football Insider.
Despite entering the final few months of his current contract, the 25-year-old hasn’t decided to sign a new contract yet. So, the Cherries are currently at risk of losing their star man for free.
Therefore, it seems Tottenham and Liverpool are looking to acquire Kelly’s signature by taking advantage of his current situation. According to the report by Football Insider, Bournemouth have offered multiple proposals to Kelly to sign an extension but he hasn’t accepted any of those.
The report further claims that Liverpool are interested in signing the defender but Tottenham are looking to trump the Reds by opening formal talks with the player’s representatives over a potential summer swoop. So, it appears Spurs are currently ahead of the Reds in this race.
Football Insider also states that apart from Liverpool and Tottenham, Newcastle United, AC Milan, Juventus and several German clubs are also interested in acquiring Kelly’s service.
Battle
Ange Postecoglou likes to deploy a left-footed defender on the left side of defence. However, the Australian coach doesn’t have any other option at his disposal apart from Micky van de Ven to do that.
Although Postecoglou used Ben Davies in this area this season amid Van de Ven’s absence, the Welshman isn’t a specialist centre-back. So, signing a new defender to add depth to the centre-back position would be the right decision and Kelly could be a shrewd option.
On the other hand, Liverpool are reportedly also looking to sign a new defender as a potential replacement for Joel Matip – who has entered the final few months of his current contract and could leave for free this summer.
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 quick, strong, good in the air, comfortable playing out from the back, efficient in defensive contributions and also reads the game well.
The Bournemouth star is a talented player and could be a shrewd signing for Tottenham or Liverpool if either club purchase him. However, it is going to be interesting to see whether the North London club can eventually manage to sign Kelly by beating Liverpool in this race.
