How Lloyd Kelly has got on since joining Juventus so far since leaving Newcastle on loan

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Lloyd Kelly decided to join Juventus from Newcastle United in the January transfer window.

Eddie Howe brought Lloyd Kelly to Newcastle United with the hope he would be a useful addition to Newcastle’s squad for years to come.

However, just six months after joining, Kelly jetted off to Italy in pursuit of more minutes. The 26-year-old made his Serie A debut against Como in February but failed to impress in his 45-minute cameo.

The Italian media slated Kelly after his debut, claiming that he did not add confidence to the Old Lady’s defence. Juventus fans blasted Kelly for his performance, despite helping them fight back from a goal down to win 2-1.

• READ MORE – Paul Mitchell masterclass as new Lloyd Kelly transfer detail emerges after Newcastle United exit

In a move no Newcastle fan saw at the start of the season. Kelly made his Champions League debut against PSV Eindhoven and had to fend off Newcastle target Johan Bakayoko for most of the game.

Although the impression in Italy was that he did not play well, Joleon Lescott defended Kelly’s performance and claimed that he looked ‘composed’ amidst the pressure.

With Kelly now settled into life in Turin, here is how he faired in Juventus’ most recent fixture.

Lloyd Kelly an unused substitute for Juventus against Inter Milan

Before leaving, Howe said Kelly was an ‘integral’ part of Newcastle’s squad and tipped him to stay at the club until the end of the season at least.

It was revealed that Kelly took a pay cut to join Juventus after growing frustrated with his lack of minutes on Tyneside – but things have not gone well for him and the Juventus’ game against Inter Milan was evidence of that.

Kelly was an unused substitute in Juventus’ important 1-0 win against Inter – something the defender will be used to following his stint at Newcastle. The 26-year-old made just 10 Premier League appearances in the first half of the season and was forced to watch on from the bench 14 times.

At one point, Kelly did not play a single minute of football for over two months but was named on the bench throughout that run. From November to February, Kelly played just 95 minutes of league football.

A silver lining to Kelly’s loan exit is that Juventus are highly likely to make his move a permanent one which would see Newcastle bag an extra £17m with a sell-on clause. The move is evidence that sporting director Paul Mitchell is a fantastic seller.

Newcastle suffer short-term pain after Lloyd Kelly’s exit

While Kelly’s exit looks to be a smart financial decision, it has not come without its consequences on the pitch.

Newcastle lost a useful squad player in Kelly and immediately after he left there were injury concerns. Sven Botman has not played since the Magpies’ Carabao Cup win against Arsenal on February 5. The defender went off with a knee injury and missed games against Birmingham and Manchester City as a result.

Dan Burn went off injured against Birmingham but was fit enough to play the full 90 minutes against Man City. Although he recovered, his issue was a sign that Newcastle are now down to the bare bones for the rest of the season. Howe has the task of taking Newcastle back to the Champions League but will struggle to do so with the squad he has until the end of the season.

Additionally, Newcastle sold Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United in January which left Jacob Murphy as Howe’s only fit right-wing option for the remainder of the campaign.