A former Newcastle United player who failed during his time on Tyneside could now be set for a move to Sunderland following reports of an enquiry.
While Eddie Howe has been around, very few of his signings have failed to make an impact. The likes of Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes, and Alexander Isak have all found success at Newcastle United, even if the latter is now pushing for a move away.
Now, fans will be hoping that Anthony Elanga can be a success at Newcastle following his move from Nottingham Forest earlier this summer.
However, one player stands out amongst others as one who failed to live up to expectations on Tyneside. Lloyd Kelly joined Newcastle on a free transfer in 2024, but was given little game time by Howe in his first few months on Tyneside. Kelly was loaned from Newcastle to Juventus in the January transfer window, having made just 10 Premier League appearances.
Unfortunately, Kelly’s time at Juventus has been strained by inconsistency and a lack of trust by the fans and media. Word spread that the 26-year-old could leave the Old Lady shortly after completing a permanent move, and a shock report has now emerged regarding Newcastle’s bitter rivals, Sunderland.
Lloyd Kelly during a Juventus Training Session.
Photo by Daniele Badolato – Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images
Sunderland enquire about Lloyd Kelly following Newcastle United exit
To the shock of many, Sunderland won promotion to the Premier League thanks to a late goal from Tommy Watson. The Black Cats have been busy this summer, bringing in 10 players to give them a chance of staying in the top flight.
It looks like Regis Le Bris is not stopping at 10, as work is now being done to sign a centre-back.
According to Italian outlet La Gazzetta Dello Sport (via TuttoJuve), Sunderland are interested in signing Kelly from Juventus this summer, and have even gone as far as to make an enquiry for the Englishman.
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The report adds that Juventus are hoping to get around €20million (£17.3million) for Kelly, as they hope it will give them the funds required to sign Randal Kolo Muani from PSG after his loan spell with them last season.
Sunderland will be helping Newcastle United if they sign Lloyd Kelly
While Kelly failed at Newcastle, he could find more fortune at Sunderland if a deal is agreed. Kelly knows what it takes to keep clubs in the top flight, having played at Bournemouth for several years.
Newcastle fans will no doubt be shocked that Kelly could be coming back to England so soon, especially after he was such a big part of Juventus’ Club World Cup campaign, where he played the likes of Real Madrid and Manchester City.
However, the Magpies will actually benefit from Sunderland making a deal with Juventus to bring Kelly back to the Premier League.
Just before his move, it was reported that Newcastle had a sell-on clause included in the deal for Kelly, so they will receive a percentage of his next transfer fee. The percentage is unknown, but it could mean an extra couple of million will be added to Howe’s transfer kitty.
The clause is one of the few positive moves made by Paul Mitchell during his time on Tyneside.