Agent Andrea Pellegatti has been speaking about Newcastle United, Eddie Howe and Lloyd Kelly.
As well as a host of Premier League clubs trying to sign Lloyd Kelly in the summer, the likes of AC Milan and Juventus also registered an interest.
Little wonder when a £30m+ rated left-footed defender who is just as comfortable playing centre-back or left-back, is available as a free agent.
Lloyd Kelly is represented by the Epic Sports agency and their employee Andrea Pellegatti was involved in the deal that took the defender to Newcastle United this summer.
Now Pellegatti has explained (see below) why Kelly signed for Newcastle United instead of the many other clubs who were after him.
The answer? Eddie Howe.
The player said exactly the same himself (also see below) back at the start of July 2024 after he had signed for NUFC.
I think Lloyd Kelly has been collateral damage in the conversations about this summer’s transfer window.
As so many Newcastle United fans are disappointed about the players that NUFC didn’t sign, they then are looking far more negatively at the ones who did actually sign.
This was a huge deal, a superb bit of business for Newcastle United, thanks to Eddie Howe.
Howe paid £13m for a raw young defender who hadn’t yet played in the Premier League back in 2019, when signing him from Championship Bristol City for Bournemouth.
Lloyd Kelly these past five years has really impressed for Bournemouth and is now a proven quality Premier League defender.
Bizarrely, just because he has ended up signing as a free agent at the age of 25, so many Newcastle United fans AND of course the media, wanting to devalue the signing. The truth is that Bournemouth were desperate to keep him but eventually had to accept he wouldn’t sign a new contract.
Andrea Pellegatti talking to Radio Sportiva over in Italy, about what the deciding factor was in Lloyd Kelly’s move to St James’ Park – 11 September 2024:
“Lloyd Kelly had several Italian teams interested.
“Expiring [contract at Bournemouth].
“Left-footed centre-back.
“In the prime of his career.
“Also capable of playing left-back.
“The decisive aspect was the fact that the [Newcastle United] coach Eddie Howe had already trained him, he was his mentor at Bournemouth.”
Lloyd Kelly speaking in early July 2024 after signing for Eddie Howe and Newcastle United:
“I think when you have got people that you know already, it makes you feel a little bit more settled and at ease.
“I know some of the players and of course the gaffer (Eddie Howe).
“For me to come here, speaking to the gaffer, I mean, I didn’t really need to take much [persuading].
“The gaffer knows how highly I think of him, the way he kind of shapes his teams and wants his teams to play.
“I think it suits my attributes, it just made sense.
“When I moved from the Championship into the Premier League [with Bournemouth] I was still so young.
“Although we only had a year together, it felt it was kind of unfinished.
“I think the way he (Eddie Howe) has seen different players over the years… he has helped develop players, I’m excited to start this journey, see where it goes.”
“I think the way I view myself is someone who is calm, composed, wants to play with the ball, wants the ball, but at the same time, I think my defensive qualities come to light throughout the games. I enjoy that one-v-one defending.
“I think there’s a bit of a balance there of being able to defend and of course, be comfortable with the ball, I want to be able to step out and play, show what I can do with the ball as well.
“Watching Newcastle games, you see a team that want to be progressive.
“They want to be on the front foot.
“So I think it kind of it suits my style.
“You have seen it in big clubs throughout the Premier League, managers changing the style of that left-back role in being kind of an up-and-down attacking full-back.
“It’s starting to change a little bit.
“Where managers will be playing centre-halves in that left-back role and so I think being able to play those two roles definitely helps my game for sure.
“Being able to understand those two positions as well.
“I think when I do play centre-half, I kind of already know what the left back wants, then vice versa.”
