Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur reportedly remain strong candidates in the race to sign Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly.
The former England Under-21 international has been with the Cherries since making the switch from Bristol City in 2019.
Since then, a total of 130 appearances have been made in all competitions, with Kelly chipping in with three goals and seven assists from centre-back or full-back.
However, the 25-year-old has now entered the final six months on his contract and is seemingly preparing to take on a new challenge elsewhere.
There is widespread interest from both the Premier League and abroad, yet foreign clubs are in a more favourable position courtesy of being able to hold formal discussions and push through a pre-contract agreement.
© Reuters
AC Milan are among the teams who have been strongly linked with a move for Kelly and were allegedly unable to get a deal over the line in January for a cut-price fee.
Nevertheless, according to Football Insider, Kelly remains in no rush to make a decision over his next club, keeping Premier League sides in the picture.
Despite having opportunities to pen a deal with a European giant to complete a transfer at the beginning of July, Kelly is seemingly happy to bide his time.
The alleged development will come as a boost for the likes of Liverpool and Spurs who have each been credited as admirers of a player who would count towards their domestic quota.
© Reuters
That is particularly necessary for Spurs ahead of their likely return to European football in 2024-25 with Harry Kane having left for Bayern Munich and fringe players such as Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon uncertain to remain at the club in the long term.
An influx of academy graduates making their mark in the Liverpool first team means that the Merseyside giants are no longer in urgent need to bolster their ranks with regards to the aforementioned criteria.
Kelly could still play an important role at the club, though, with cover able to be provided at each of centre-back and left-back.
The current focus for Kelly is on keeping Bournemouth pushing for a top-half finish in the Premier League, the South Coast outfit able to move four points clear of 12th-placed Fulham if they can win at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Darren Plant
