Newcastle United reject Jose Mourinho approach after £10m bid for Lloyd Kelly deemed 'nowhere near' valuation

 · January 15 2025, 10:30
Newcastle United reject Jose Mourinho approach after £10m bid for Lloyd Kelly deemed 'nowhere near' valuation
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Newcastle United are standing firm on their valuation of their players and will not be taken advantage of in the transfer market.

It has often been to the club's detriment that their stubborn approach to selling has seen so many deals collapse.

Miguel Almiron has had plenty of interest from elsewhere but Newcastle's high valuation of the player who looked out of his depth against League Two opposition at the weekend has prevented a move from happening.

Now, Newcastle are sticking to their guns when it comes to summer signing Lloyd Kelly who joined Newcastle for free in the summer, commanding a hefty £150,000 per week wage.

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Fenerbache vice-president claimed they were in talks for Lloyd Kelly

It was reported yesterday that Jose Mourinho's Fenerbahce had made a £10 million bid for Lloyd Kelly, later backed up by claims from the club's vice-president saying they were in talks, but later last night, Luke Edwards poured cold water on the move.

Writing in The Telegraph, Edwards claimed that the £10 million offered is way below Newcastle's valuation and that the board are irritated by Fenerbahce vice-president Acun Ilicah going public with the club’s interest.

Kelly has only featured seven times for Newcastle and his high wages and zero transfer fee make him a prime candidate to be sold this month to beat PSR, but the club clearly has their valuation, and indeed, a use for the player given their reluctance to sell.

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It's never as straightforward as it looks to fans

It's easy as a supporter to look at this purely in black and white terms - he cost nothing, he's on high wages, he barely plays and when he does he's sub-par, £10 million is £10 million - what are we doing saying no?

There's obviously a lot more nuance involved and the club are guarding against a future defensive crisis. Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles are both coming back after serious injuries and we can't be 100% certain there won't be complications with either of them. It just makes sense to have Kelly on standby.

That being said, a hefty profit and £150k-a-week off the wage bill would be a huge blessing in terms of PSR, so there's still scope for a deal to be done.

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