According to reports from Italy, Liverpool appear to be in pole position to secure the signing of an ‘incredible’ defender on a free transfer in the summer.
The print edition of Gazzetta dello Sport claimed (via Paisley Gates) that the Reds lead the pursuit for Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly, who’s also being considered by Juventus in their search for a new left-back.
This report follows on from a claim by French journalist Sébastien Vidal last month that the 25-year-old was in ‘advanced discussions’ over a possible move to Anfield, amid an apparent refusal to extend his contract with the Cherries.
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It was just over a year ago that Kelly was lauded for an ‘incredible’ performance in Bournemouth’s 1-0 win over Liverpool by his then-manager Gary O’Neil (Daily Echo), having stifled Mo Salah at the Vitality Stadium that afternoon.
Similar to Joe Gomez, the 25-year-old is a versatile operator who can alternate between left-back and centre-back, a commodity that any manager would welcome from a player in their squad.
However, when looking at his performance figures across a range of key metrics in comparison to positional peers (as per FBref), he doesn’t rank too favourably, while Jurgen Klopp already has two reliable left-backs in Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas vying for a starting berth.
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Another significant red flag over Kelly is his damning injury record. His current hip issue, which has already sidelined him for the past month, is his third separate period on the sidelines already this season (Transfermarkt).
Considering how busy Liverpool’s treatment room has been in recent weeks and months, there may be reservations about signing someone with such a chequered history in that regard.
Free transfers generally appear to be low-risk moves, and the Bournemouth defender’s wages of £30,000 per week (Capology) would be easily affordable for the Reds.
However, we’d still be inclined to take these reports with a pinch of salt and wait for sources closer to home to verify whether or not it’s likely to materialise in the summer.