Lloyd Kelly returned from injury to help Juventus secure European qualification with a game to spare in Serie A.
Kelly, who has spent the second half on loan from Newcastle United at Juventus, returned from a thigh injury and kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 win on Sunday evening.
The victory consolidates Juventus’ place in the top four of the Serie A table heading into the final day against Venezia. Juve need a win to guarantee Champions League qualification while Venezia need a win to have a chance of avoiding relegation on the final day.
But Sunday’s win for Juventus does confirm that the club will be competing in some form of European competition at least next season. Kelly featured twice for Juventus in the Champions League shortly after arriving on loan from Newcastle.
Lloyd Kelly transfer set to be complete
Newcastle’s first major piece of summer transfer business will see Kelly join Juventus on a permanent transfer after the obligation to buy conditions were met in his loan move.
The deal is worth £20million in total which includes the initial loan fee and performance-related bonuses that have now been achieved.
Kelly joined Newcastle on a free transfer last summer but was limited to just 14 appearances in all competitions during his first half season before being loaned out to Juventus.
The 26-year-old has since made 14 appearances for Juventus and will be looking to play Champions League football once again next season.
Juventus manager praises ‘great asset’ Lloyd Kelly
Kelly’s move to Juventus has been subject to scrutiny from the Italian media, who previously cast doubt over whether the loan would be made permanent at the end of the season.
The defender’s form in Turin has also been debated, though Juventus manager Igor Tudor suggested Kelly was a valuable member of his squad following his return from injury on Sunday.
“Kelly can become really strong in this type of football,” he said. “Because as a [left-sided centre-back] he is a great asset."
Senior sources at Newcastle have confirmed to The Gazette that Kelly’s transfer to Juventus will be formalised over the summer transfer window, landing the club a healthy financial bonus for a player they signed for nothing less than 12 months ago.
What Eddie Howe said about Lloyd Kelly transfer
Eddie Howe previously signed Kelly for Bournemouth before signing him again at Newcastle. But after a limited impact on the first team during his half-season on Tyneside, a decision was made to offload Kelly during the winter transfer window.
Following Kelly’s departure, Howe said: “I don't think it was necessarily my decision to let him leave.
“We were very reluctant from our side. Lloyd is a player who has just recently signed and we believed in him and his qualities. It was frustrating for him that he hadn't played more, in part down to the other players around him.
“But we are in the world and we have been in this window of trying to manage PSR and trying to make decisions that will benefit us in the long term. This is one of those decisions.
“Lloyd leaves with our best wishes. I'm sure he'll do well in Italy and it's an exciting challenge for him.”
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