Newcastle United defender Lloyd Kelly has completed his medical ahead of a move to Juventus.
It has been a rather dim transfer window for Newcastle United fans to endure, so they will be happy to see a positive come out of it.
The positive is the fee that Newcastle will pocket from Lloyd Kelly’s move to Juventus on deadline day.
Newcastle will bag £20m for Kelly just a few months after signing from on a free from AFC Bournemouth – the club can consider that pure profit which will be a huge help for the club’s PSR problems.
Sporting director Paul Mitchell has worked hard to get deals done this window but Newcastle have not been able to spend the necessary funds to land the players they need. For example, Newcastle wanted Abdukodir Khusanov but failed in their attempts to sign him as they could not offer as much as RC Lens were looking for. Instead, he signed for Manchester City.
Newcastle also sold Miguel Almiron to Atlanta United for a fee of around £11 including add-ons which will now be spent in the summer.
With the transfer deadline getting nearer by the minute, a new report from Italy has suggested something unthinkable at this stage.
Lloyd Kelly unsure on Juventus move
Newcastle fans had gotten ready for life without Kelly on Tyneside after he flew to Turin for his medical on Sunday.
The 26-year-old has only made four starts for the Magpies this season as he has struggled to break into the squad as a result of Dan Burn and Fabian Schar’s excellent form this season.
Kelly was a late substitute in Newcastle’s defeat to Fulham on Saturday which looked like it was going to be his last appearance for the Magpies.
However, according to Gianluca Di Marzio, Kelly is still unsure about the move to Juventus.
The Englishman must obtain a visa for a work permit in Italy, it is now a race against time to get the deal done. The paperwork to get his visa is in progress.
Di Marzio confirms that any previous issues regarding the filing of his contract are being resolved. The move still looks likely but is not complete yet.
Lloyd Kelly wanted the Juventus move
It must come to a surprise to both Newcastle and Juventus bosses that Kelly is suddenly digging his heels in over a move.
Kelly was open to leaving Newcastle after falling out of favour with Howe. The defender has only played four minutes of Premier League football since November, despite Howe being a big fan of his.
Newcastle were not expecting to lose Kelly this window, but circumstances have changed and the 26-year-old has now been shipped off to Italy.
While Kelly’s sale comes as a surprise, Newcastle will welcome the transfer fee that they have received as it gives them a headstart on beating the PSR gap for next season and allows them to make much-needed improvements to the squad.
Mitchell wants to overhaul Newcastle’s squad in the summer so casualties were expected, but Kelly did not seem like one of them.
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