00:00So, I guess tonight a closing in on the signing of Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly. Now Kelly
00:06will leave Bournemouth as a free agent and it seems as though his destination will be
00:11St James' Park. You know, plenty of reports today, which is on Tuesday 11th June, if you
00:17are wondering. Plenty of reports today suggesting that's almost completed. Medical booked in
00:22sort of in the coming days and weeks and that one will be confirmed as expected unless there
00:27is any issues with medical very soon. So, yeah, it's a solid start of the window for
00:31Newcastle. Kelly will provide lots of Premier League experience. He's still only 25, so
00:36you know, he's still got a few years before he's in his prime, but it'd be, one has said,
00:41lots of Premier League experience. Worked with Eddie Howe in the past, will be just
00:44for one year at Bournemouth. Howe's a big fan. He's talked about his leadership qualities,
00:48his maturity even as a 20-year-old back when they worked together. So, it's certainly one
00:51that will help bolster Newcastle's defence, both in the middle of the defence where Kelly
00:56plays predominantly, but he can also play on the left of defence, so that'll help Lewis
00:59Hall, Dan Byrne. The options there, they've got enough, but obviously with Sven Bottmann
01:03and Jamal Assel being out injured for a considerable time, you know, any sort of options that can
01:10get more bodies in essentially to cover them too is helpful. So, Kelly will be that. Is
01:15it the marker you signed everyone, you know, might have been hoping for? Is he one that
01:20will transform the team, you know, take them to a new level? Probably not, but it just
01:24helps get more options in. It helps strengthen their defence, which need a strengthen. That
01:29was one area of the squad they went in the window needing a strengthen, and with Kelly
01:33they've done that. Of course, they're missing out on Tosin Adeboyoyo, who's went to Chelsea.
01:38That was a big, you know, that was a big miss, but they've managed to hopefully get this
01:41Kelly deal over the line, which is a positive. And yeah, they can look forward to strengthen
01:45now in other areas of the pitch because they do, there are a few places they need to strengthen
01:49this summer, and a free transfer might not be, might not be, you know, the headline
01:55grabbing one, but it's one that will allow them, hopefully, to spend in other areas.
01:59We know that they want a right winger next year, maybe another striker. Could that be
02:05one who, you know, one player that fits both criteria? We don't know yet. They're looking
02:10at goalkeepers. We've seen Giorgio Mamadashvili, Aaron Ramsdale, James Trafford. He's the biggest,
02:14you know, he's the most likely one right now. So, there's plenty of places they're looking
02:18to strengthen. And of course, PSR is going to hit. I'm going to be seeing PSR a lot over
02:23the summer, but that is one that's going to hit, and signing Kelly on a free transfer
02:27will just help get someone in, again, primarily experienced, without having too much effect
02:34on their PSR sort of limits. So, yeah, it's a good start to the window, one that I guess
02:39we'll hope to press on with. Of course, the transfer window hasn't actually opened yet,
02:42that opens on Friday 14th June, so a couple of days yet. So, you know, there's still plenty
02:47of time, and the Euros are always going to be a complicating factor this summer. You know,
02:50I don't expect, I don't think many expect any big deals to be done, sort of, until mid-July,
02:55August, when the teams start coming back and really start, you know, their pre-season
02:58preparations. But yeah, Kelly in through the door will be a big boost for Newcastle,
03:03one that, you know, they're getting in early. They've covered that area of defence, left-back,
03:07centre-back, as mentioned. They've got an extra body in there. On, you know, for relatively
03:11cheap, of course, wages will be, they'll have to swallow that, but they can get rid of a couple
03:16of players, and that'll be covered. And yeah, it's a solid start for Newcastle, but one they
03:21need to press on with. I think many Newcastle fans expect them to sign, not go too much this
03:26window. I don't think anyone's expecting 10 or 11 transfers or anything like that, but I think
03:30three or four, Kelly will be the start of that, and if they can get a couple of big names in to
03:33improve that start on 11, then they'll have a, you know, they'll fancy themselves of having a good
03:37window. As mentioned, the goalkeeper is James Trafford, that's one that's looking like it's
03:41progressing, but right now I think the two clubs are still slightly apart in valuation. I think if
03:45they do come to an agreement, then that will be one that goes. I think Trafford will be keener
03:49to come to Newcastle. He might have to act as Nick Pope's deputy for a bit, but I can imagine
03:54that'll be one that, although he'll want the first team football, I think he'll relish being able to
03:58work under Pope, you know, under Howe and his coaching staff, and really become their long-term
04:04number one if that, if he does move to Newcastle. So that's one to keep an eye on. In terms of
04:08outgoings, we've always seen, you know, Miguel Almiron, Callum Wilson, Sean Longstaff recently
04:13with Leicester, so there's going to be plenty of links with some of the players, and it'll be one
04:16where, unfortunately, everyone at Newcastle has their price, but that's the same with football
04:21across the board, really. But if Newcastle get a solid offer for any player this summer,
04:24you know, they're not going to turn it down, but that goes with last year, that goes with next
04:28year, it'll be the same every window. Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak, of course, two
04:32players I really want to keep hold of, and I think they will keep hold of them this summer,
04:35but again, if someone either triggers Bruno's release clause or bids silly money for Isak,
04:39then that's going to be something they have to consider as well. So it's going to be interesting
04:43to see who they can keep hold of, who they're willing to offload, trying to get a move,
04:48and they're going to have to sell players, unfortunately, that's just PSR. Again, that's
04:52just the way of life, if you can sell players, you can buy more players, and that's something
04:55they'll want to do, so player trading will be a big thing this summer. Again, some players who
04:59haven't really played too much off their wage books, we've seen Ryan Fraser recently being
05:03linked with a return to Southampton, now that's looking likely, you know, it's clear that from
05:08the player's side, that's a move he wants to do. I think Southampton are keen to do it, especially
05:11now they're in the Premier League, you know, he's going to bring plenty of Premier League experience,
05:15he had a great season with them last year, so that'll be one which I think will happen.
05:20But again, that's one that's just going to have to, it's going to take time,
05:23as I said, the transfer window's in open, yeah, so yeah, it's going to be a busy summer,
05:29lots of deals are going to happen in the background, lots of talk, lots of links,
05:34and yeah, it's certainly going to be an interesting summer at St James' Park,
05:37and of course, the best way you can stay up to date with all of the latest transfer
05:41news, gossip, headlines and rumours and everything in between is with The Shields Gazette.
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