Tottenham & Liverpool in battle to sign £20m star in cut-price January deal – report
Tottenham and Liverpool are ready to battle it out over a cut-price deal to sign Bournemouth centre-back Lloyd Kelly in the winter transfer window, according to Football Insider.
As Kelly’s contract is slated to expire in the summer of 2019, the online news source asserts that Spurs are prepared to make another play for Kelly. The 24-year-old and the Cherries have not yet reached an agreement on a new contract, and if they are unable to do so quickly, they will be obliged to accept a lower offer in January.
The Englishman transferred from Bristol City to the Vitality Stadium in 2019, where he made a name for himself as one of the greatest young players in the division thanks to his steady play for the Robins. During his time at the club, he played in 48 matches and contributed two assists and two goals across all competitions.
Kelly’s progress at Bournemouth has been limited by injuries, but he has excelled each time he has played for Andoni Iraola’s team. The adaptable defender, who can also play left back, has 120 appearances under his belt and has contributed to 10 goals in all competitions.
After a sluggish start to the previous season, he helped the Cherries avoid relegation by finishing five points ahead of 18th-placed Leicester City. Kelly has appeared for Bournemouth in two league games so far this year.
Competition
Tottenham will have tough competition from Liverpool for Kelly’s signature, according to Football Insider, as the Reds are also reportedly expressing a strong interest in the England defender.
Bournemouth would recover a price for the highly regarded ace in the competition for the 6 feet 3 inch standout. If no agreement is reached between the player and Bournemouth by January 1, he may start talking about a pre-contract arrangement with international teams.
This summer, Liverpool reportedly had interest in many defenders, including the left-handed center back Micky Van de Ven, who ultimately signed with Tottenham.
Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip, and Joe Gomez’s recurring injuries may force Jurgen Klopp’s team to sign a defender and let Nat Phillips leave on loan to Celtic in January.
Bournemouth rejected Spurs’ £20 million bid for Kelly on the final day of the transfer window, but if the midfielder doesn’t agree to a new deal soon, the club may have to settle for less in January.
