Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur expected to try and sign £20 Premier League defender in January

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Liverpool will rival Tottenham Hotspur for the signing of Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly in the New Year.

The Reds have been linked with Kelly even before he joined Bournemouth from Bristol City in 2019. And now, with his contract set to expire next summer, the rumours are hotting up again.

This time, it’s 90min who claim Liverpool are ‘expected’ to make an attempt to sign Kelly in January.

That reportedly comes in response to strong interest from Tottenham, who had a £20m deadline day bid rejected for the 25-year-old in September.

Spurs are said to be ‘likely’ to return with a winter offer, at which point Kelly will have just six months to run on his contract.

It seemingly won’t be straightforward for Tottenham though, with Liverpool and Newcastle United claimed to be ready to rival them. Fulham and West Ham United are also credited with an interest, while AC Milan, Juventus and Borussia Dortmund are mentioned as well.

Liverpool readying Kelly attempt

It made some sense when Liverpool were reportedly trying to sign Kelly back in 2019. Then a young and up and coming Championship defender, the Reds could see his potential.

But almost half-a-decade on, the Cherries man hasn’t really lived up to his billing.

Admittedly, he was superb during Bournemouth’s promotion campaign in 2021/22, skippering the side back to the Premier League.

But since then, Kelly has had to make do with a rotational role at Dean Court.

Now 25, he isn’t exactly a young player anymore. The England U21 international could certainly still get better, but the scramble for his services from top teams is a bit of a head-scratcher.

From Liverpool’s point of view, they need to be looking for a long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk on the left side of the defence.

Although he’s left-footed and also versatile, Kelly definitely isn’t up to that standard.

If the defender is being earmarked as a potential squad option, then we can maybe get behind that. But let’s just says we won’t be too upset if Spurs end up beating us to this one.