Leeds United have been linked with a surprising move to sign Juventus defender Lloyd Kelly, as the club aims to replace Pascal Struijk.
United are in the market for a centre-back or two this summer. The reason that it’s become something of a pressing matter is Pascal Struijk’s exit.
The Dutchman is Leeds’ longest serving player, but is seeking a new challenge as he heads to Brighton for a reported £18million package.
Leeds United linked with move for Juventus’ Lloyd Kelly – Graham Smyth
How Leeds rectify this blow of losing Struijk is a tough one. While many fans don’t want to admit it, he’s vital to how Daniel Farke approaches each game, particularly with the ball at his feet.
Leeds will have to source a new centre-back that’s willing to take on plenty of that burden, while still reinforcing our back line.
Now, Graham Smyth has relayed reports claiming that Leeds have Juventus’ English centre-back Lloyd Kelly in sight.
Smyth shares that he’s one of the left-footed centre-backs that United are admirers of this summer. However, he also notes that he’s not a player that is being “actively pursued” at this stage.
Would Lloyd Kelly be an acceptable replacement for Pascal Struijk at Leeds United?
As much as I think losing Struijk is a big blow to our defence, he’s not irreplaceable. So, we have the opportunity to stick the landing here and kick on.
Is Kelly that sort of player?
At 27, he’s got plenty of Premier League experience from his time at Bournemouth and Newcastle United. But, he’s had a mixed time in Turin with Juve, to say the least.
“Lloyd Kelly is unworthy of Juventus,” Juventus great Fabrizio Ravanelli said earlier this year, per Tuttomercatoweb. “He is big and tall, but never goes up for a header. I’ve never seen a centre-forward who is 1.9m tall and never jumps!
“On top of that, he makes no impact. When he does have the ball at his feet, he takes three hours to pick a pass. He cannot play for Juve.”
Given we’re in the process of replacing Struijk off the back of his best season in a Leeds shirt, we might need someone who can hit the ground running.
Kelly needs to leave Juve to recapture his form. But, Leeds aren’t in a position where we should be pinning our hopes again on restoration projects. It worked with Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but continuing that pathway isn’t too wise.
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