Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly has commented on his future at the Serie A club after rumours he could leave as soon as he completes his permanent exit from Newcastle United.
The whole saga from his time on Tyneside has been an unpredictable one from start to finish. After signing for the Magpies on a free transfer from Bournemouth in 2024, Lloyd Kelly played just a handful of games under Eddie Howe before being loaned to Juventus.
In June, it was confirmed that Kelly will join Juventus permanently on June 30, ending his uninspiring stint at Newcastle United.
Kelly struggled at the start of his Juventus career, but better performances came towards the end of the season, helping Juventus qualify for Europe and make his loan move a permanent one. However, reports in Italy stated that Juventus are looking to sell Kelly this summer and take the hit on his £20m transfer fee.
With his future at the Serie A club looking in doubt, Kelly has commented on rumours around his future ahead of his appearance at the Club World Cup very few saw coming.
Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly during a Club World Cup game between Juventus and Al Ain FC
Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images
Former Newcastle United defender Lloyd Kelly wants to stay at Juventus
Kelly is one of four former Newcastle players at the Club World Cup, with Aleksandar Mitrovic, Kenedy and Salomon Rondon also playing at the tournament in the US.
The 26-year-old played the full 90 minutes against UAE side Al Ain FC on Thursday morning, helping the Old Lady to a 5-0 win. While he seemed level-headed during the game, he was given a tough question to answer during an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, where he was asked about reported interest from Premier League side Crystal Palace.
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On the rumours, Kelly said: “Interest from Crystal Palace? I’m 100% focused on Juventus and doing well here. I want to remain in Turin for a long time.”
Newcastle fans were delighted when Kelly’s exit was confirmed due to the fee that they are set to receive for him, and the fact that the deal also included a sell-on clause, which will see the Magpies pick up even more money further down the line.
Kelly and Juventus will be back in action on Sunday, when they take on Wydad AC before taking on Manchester City four days later.
Former Newcastle United man Lloyd Kelly’s performance vs Al Ain by numbers
Upon signing, Howe was hopeful that Kelly would be a success at Newcastle. Unfortunately, that was not the case as he appeared to struggle in coping with Howe’s style of play.
It did not help him that the likes of Lewis Hall and Dan Burn were in the team. The pair were unstoppable at times during the season, so Kelly was always going to struggle for a place in Newcastle’s starting XI.
Statistics vs Al Ain FC Lloyd Kelly
Minutes 90
Touches 82
Tackles 0/0
Interceptions 0
Accurate Passes 67/75
Despite that, Kelly looks like he has a home at Juventus, even with the rumours that he could leave. The Englishman clearly has the quality to play every week for the Italian giants, but needs a few more good performances to convince Igor Tudor that he should stay.
Even if he does not sign, next season could see Kelly return to Newcastle in the Champions League if the two teams are drawn against each other. The Magpies have a chance to travel to Turin or host Juventus at St James’ Park in what would be an iconic game between two sides that wear black and white.