Lloyd Kelly deal now opens the door for Newcastle United to cash in on £15m player

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Newcastle United are set to sign Lloyd Kelly on a free transfer, but soon the club could turn their attention towards outgoings.

The Magpies have agreed a deal to sign Kelly, whose Bournemouth contract is due to expire on June 30th.

It is a great bit of business to get a player of Kelly’s calibre on a free, while he is also a player who Eddie Howe knows well from his Bournemouth days.

He knows exactly what the 25-year-old will bring to St James’ Park, with one of his biggest strengths being his versatility. Kelly is predominantly a left-sided centre-back, but he can also play as a left-back.

That will make him extremely valuable to Newcastle, and could be one of the reasons why one player is being linked with a move away from Tyneside.

Newcastle now looking to sell Matt Targett

With Newcastle needing to sell to boost their PSR position, a new candidate to depart has emerged.

According to Newcastle World, the Magpies are willing to listen to offers for Matt Targett this summer.

Targett has endured a torrid time since joining Newcastle permanently, costing £15million two years ago. That was on the back of a brilliant loan spell from Aston Villa, but it has been a different story since that temporary deal came to an end.

The 28-year-old only managed to make seven appearances in all competitions last season, missing 34 games due to injury.

Lloyd Kelly deal probably influences Newcastle’s Targett stance

Luckily, Newcastle had enough cover at left-back to compensate for Targett’s absence. Between Dan Burn, Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall, Eddie Howe was never shy of a left-back.

And now his options have grown even further, with Kelly also capable of playing on the left of defence. And it is his arrival that could potentially spark the Magpies’ decision to cash in on Targett.

Given Newcastle’s need to sell and his sizeable wages – a reported £100,000-a-week – a move away for Targett makes sense. The Magpies do not really need him anymore, while his lack of availability has been a massive concern.

But even if he was available, would he get a game? He was struggling for minutes during the 2022/23 season when Burn took his place. Since then, Livramento has arrived and proven he can play on both sides, while Hall has shown real signs of development and is probably ahead of Targett in the pecking order as well.

Now you throw Kelly into the mix, and it is clearly right that Newcastle should listen to offers for a player who has failed to deliver since becoming a permanent Magpie two years ago.