Newcastle United has successfully negotiated the signing of Lloyd Kelly from Bournemouth.
Kelly, a versatile defender, will join on a four-year contract once his current agreement with Bournemouth expires. The 25-year-old rejected multiple offers from his current club to move to St James’ Park, where he will reunite with former Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe.
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Kelly’s arrival addresses Newcastle’s defensive needs, especially with injuries sidelining key players Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles at the start of the next season. Kelly, who can play both as a left-sided centre-half and a left-back, is expected to bolster the Magpies’ defense significantly.
Concurrently, Newcastle winger Ryan Fraser has agreed to personal terms with Southampton.
Fraser spent last season on loan at Southampton and played a crucial role in their promotion campaign, including their play-off final victory over Leeds United.
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Southampton manager Russell Martin had expressed a desire to sign Fraser permanently following their promotion, and with Fraser’s verbal agreement in place, the two clubs are now working out the transfer fee.
Newcastle’s summer transfer activities are also expected to include signing a striker, a right-sided attacker, another defender, and a goalkeeper.
However, their financial maneuvering is constrained by the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability rules. The club’s focus will shift to retaining key players like Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak amid interest from other top clubs.
Additionally, Newcastle aims to streamline their squad by offloading fringe players.
Besides Fraser, Isaac Hayden and Martin Dubravka are likely to depart.
Dubravka has attracted interest from Celtic, and his potential exit could pave the way for the arrival of Burnley’s James Trafford, further refining Newcastle’s squad ahead of the new season.
