It’s a common strategy for top clubs to target young talents, aiming to secure the future of their teams by nurturing promising players. One such example is Jude Bellingham, who drew the interest of Real Madrid due to his potential to rejuvenate their midfield and reduce Modric’s play time since his arrival.
Similarly, Lloyd Kelly has captured the attention of prominent teams like AC Milan, as his talents could address their deficiencies in the central defensive position. Milan is facing a shortage of options in their backline for the upcoming winter period, and they see Kelly as a potential solution to bolster their squad.
Lloyd Kelly’s player profile
Lloyd Cassius Kelly is a professional footballer from England, born on October 6, 1998. He primarily plays as a center-back but is versatile enough to also play as a left-back. Currently, he is a member of the Premier League club AFC Bournemouth.
Lloyd Kelly’s football journey began when he joined Bristol City at the age of 12 after being scouted while playing for the local team Bristol Central. He was part of Bristol City’s pre-season squad that traveled to Portugal in the 2015–2016 season. His debut for Bristol City came on August 8, 2017, in a 5-0 victory against Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup. Kelly’s first league start occurred on December 23, 2017, in a match against Queens Park Rangers. He also scored his first league goal against Reading just three days later.
In August 2017, Lloyd Kelly made his debut for the England U20 national team, coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 victory over the Netherlands. Later, on November 12, 2018, he received his first call-up to the England U21 team. Kelly made his debut for the U21 side as a third-minute substitute during a 2-1 win over Italy in Ferrara on November 15, 2018.
Bournemouth defender in Milan, Juventus radar
Lloyd Kelly, who is 25 years old, is in the final months of his contract with AFC Bournemouth, which is set to expire in the summer of 2024. The club will not extend his contract because they do not even have such an option. Kelly has faced fitness challenges during the 2023–24 season, participating in seven matches for Bournemouth in various competitions, with five of those being starts in the Premier League.
The Bournemouth player is a product of Bristol City, and he served as the captain in the recent match against Burnley, where AFC Bournemouth secured their first Premier League victory of the current season with a 2-1 win. This success moved Bournemouth out of the relegation zone to the 17th position in the league standings. However, the club is still in danger of relegation, and if they do get relegated to the Championship, they would lose Kelly on a free transfer when his contract expires.
Lloyd Kelly, who was briefly linked with a move to Tottenham Hotspur over the summer, may attract more interest from clubs if it becomes clear that he won’t be extending his contract with AFC Bournemouth. Tottenham could reignite their interest in him as they search for defensive reinforcements in 2024.
However, AC Milan has reportedly identified Kelly as an ideal addition to their young recruitment efforts and is working on bringing him to San Siro as early as January. Meanwhile, Juventus is also interested. This could be Bournemouth’s last chance to receive a transfer fee for the defender before he enters pre-contract negotiations with foreign clubs.
