Newcastle could strike late deal with Borussia Dortmund or Marseille - Report
Another day, another story covering a potential exit at St James' Park, with outgoings continuing to dominate the January headlines on Tyneside.
While reports linking Matt Targett to Leeds are being played down, Miguel Almiron has said his goodbyes ahead of a return to Atalanta United and there is ongoing talk of a late move for Lloyd Kelly.
After a lowball bid from Fenerbahce and talks with Juventus - who seem keen on a loan deal - there is now fresh interest in the former Bournemouth defender.
Two clubs join Kelly race?
According to L'Equipe, both Marseille and Borussia Dortmund are now showing late interest in Lloyd Kelly.
The French paper state that the market is 'ready to catch fire’ ahead of Monday's deadline, with a number of clubs chasing the left-sided Newcastle defender.
After signing Chelsea's Renato Veiga and making little progress with a loan bid, Italian outlet Corriere dello Sport report that the Serie A giants are walking away from a deal, suggesting Newcastle won't accept a deal that doesn't work for us.
It seems there are plenty of sides still in the mix, however, with The Athletic reporting earlier this week that a couple of unnamed Premier League clubs are also keen on Kelly.
Howe's comments on Kelly
Speaking to the media last week, Howe insisted that the club had not received an offer "anywhere close" to Kelly's valuation.
The boss did not rule out a late move away, but said the 26-year-old remains an "integral part" of his squad despite his lack of starts since arriving on a free last summer:
I’ve seen a little bit of the speculation on Lloyd," Howe said. "We’ve certainly not had any bid anywhere close to making the club make a decision on that.
“Lloyd’s an integral part of what we’re doing from my perspective. His challenge is to try and work his way into the team. He’s only just arrived, so I think he’s got a lot to achieve here. So, it’s a very different situation.”
While there'll be a temptation to sell Kelly for a quick profit, you can see why Toon chiefs would reject loan offers unless they included an obligation to buy at a reasonable price.
