What Newcastle United actually thought about Lloyd Kelly before ‘disastrous’ Juventus move

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It would be fair to say Lloyd Kelly’s loan move from Newcastle United to Juventus has not gone to plan for the defender.

Kelly left Newcastle United only a few months after joining back in February by sealing a surprise move to the Turin giants. A permanent move is expected at the end of the season, and Juve could pay £20million to sign Kelly from Newcastle for good.

The 26-year-old has had a strange few months. Previously a key player at Bournemouth in the Premier League, he became little more than a bench option for Eddie Howe at Newcastle before joining one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

The Italian media have criticised Kelly but some interesting insight into what Newcastle thought about the deal has now emerged.

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Newcastle United’s stance on Lloyd Kelly

Kelly was labelled the “most disastrous signing in the history of Juventus” recently but it seems he’s there to stay long-term.

Newcastle expect Kelly to join Juventus and reports from Italian outlet Il Bianconero offer an interesting update.

They claim Newcastle did not put any clauses in the deal in regard to Juve qualifying for the Champions League. Instead, those at St James’ Park are said to have been so confident about his ability that the main criteria into turning it into a permanent move were based on appearances. 

The defender has made 13 appearances for the club and it’s thought that amount has triggered the permanent deal.

Newcastle United still have big decision to make over Lloyd Kelly

A strange season could get even weirder for the former Bristol City youngster.

Kelly could get a Carabao Cup medal after Newcastle won the competition back in March, having made three appearances during the club’s run to the final.

It’s up to the club to decide who gets a medal, with Miguel Almiron also in line to get one if Newcastle deem it the correct decision despite his exit back in January.

Banking £20million for a player who joined for free only a few months before leaving has to be seen as a masterstroke. It’s a shame it never worked out for Kelly on Tyneside but getting a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world can hardly be viewed upon as a terrible outcome.