“I’m told” – Journalist reveals Howe favourite “one of the most likely” to join NUFC this summer

Newcastle United are in a strong position to sign Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly during the upcoming summer transfer window, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Magpies strengthened significantly during January, splashing out over £90 million on five new acquisitions, yet plenty more are expected to follow ahead of next season.

Following the successful Saudi-backed takeover last year, Newcastle became the richest football club in the world and have been linked with a plethora of top talents as a result.

Star names such as Thomas Muller, Diego Carlos and Sven Botman have reportedly caught the attention of the St. James’ Park hierarchy, but it remains to be seen if they can attract that calibre of player to the club at this stage of their development.

However, according to the Daily Mail, Kelly – who is valued at £9m by Transfermarkt – was also identified as a potential target for Newcastle outfit during January as they looked to bolster their backline.

And Football Insider have since claimed that Eddie Howe’s charges are ‘laying the groundwork’ to bring the 23-year-old to the club after the pair worked together previously at Bournemouth.

Howe signed Kelly for the Cherries in 2019 and handed him nine appearances throughout his maiden campaign at the Vitality Stadium but couldn’t prevent the south coast club’s relegation from the Premier League.

Kelly only worked under Howe for one season before the young tactician departed Bournemouth, yet he’s gone from strength to strength ever since.

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And Jones has revealed that the versatile star is ‘one of the most likely’ players to join Newcastle out of the dozens who have been