Lloyd Kelly is set to complete a permanent move from Newcastle United to Juventus this month.
Kelly joined Juventus on an initial loan deal from Newcastle during the winter transfer window. The loan included an obligation to make the deal permanent in the summer, subject to performance-related criteria.
Said criteria were met during the 2024/25 season, triggering a permanent transfer for Kelly worth £20million.
It will see Newcastle make a healthy profit for Kelly, whom they signed on a free transfer last summer.
The 26-year-old defender made 14 appearances for Newcastle in all competitions but was limited to just four Premier League starts during his half-season at St James’ Park. Kelly’s move to Juventus on loan saw him granted more regular first-team football, starting 14 games out of a possible 18.
Newcastle United confirm Lloyd Kelly transfer
Kelly’s exit from Newcastle was officially confirmed last week when the club published its retained list.
The club stated: “Lloyd Kelly’s loan move to Juventus will become a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee on 30th June.”
Although the club listed the transfer fee as ‘undisclosed’, it is understood to be worth around £20million to Newcastle in total after the initial loan fee plus bonuses related to Juventus qualifying for the Champions League.
Newcastle and Juventus could meet in the competition this coming season with The Magpies securing a top five finish on the final day of the Premier League season last month.
But even if Juventus and Newcastle do get drawn against one another, as they did previously during the 2002/03 season, there is no guarantee Kelly will feature against his former club.
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Italian media drop Lloyd Kelly transfer bombshell
Kelly’s loan spell at Juventus was a divisive one with various reports from Italy casting doubt over the possibility of making the deal permanent.
Even now that the transfer has been officially confirmed, the Italian media have suggested Kelly may not be a Juventus player next season.
La Gazzetta dello Sport journalist Giovanni Albanese has claimed that Juventus are ‘ready to put Kelly back on the transfer market’ and are considering exit options for the player, having not been convinced by his loan spell.
Newcastle United ‘very reluctant’ to sell Lloyd Kelly
Newcastle’s deal to loan Kelly and ultimately agree to sell him this summer was a ‘reluctant’ one from head coach Eddie Howe’s point of view. Howe had signed Kelly for his former club AFC Bournemouth and was quick to swoop in when he became a free agent last summer.
But limited first-team starts and high wages meant the club made a transfer decision for financial reasons that risked leaving them short of defensive options for the second half of the campaign. But it ultimately didn’t stop Newcastle from achieving their goals as Howe’s side won the Carabao Cup and qualified for the Champions League in what has been deemed the club’s most successful season of the modern era.
Discussing the move during the winter transfer window, Newcastle head coach Howe said: “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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