Report: Newcastle's move for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly may not be as simple as once thought

Newcastle United are said to be very keen on signing Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly at the end of this season after his contract expires.

It should be a straightforward smash and grab for the Magpies who could swoop in and offer the 25-year-old a deal to come and join Newcastle for next season, no transfer fee involved.

Kelly is a left-footed defender who can play at centre-back or left-back much like Dan Burn, but he is obviously a lot younger and a fair bit quicker, too.

Capped 10 times by England U21 and nine times by the Under 20s, there's still talk around him breaking into the England senior squad, and a move to a bigger club could facilitate that.

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Kelly's injury record is a cause for concern

Newcastle aren't the only club interested in Kelly, but given his current injury status and the fact that he's still over a month away from full fitness, Newcastle could take the risk and get in there first.

Let's be honest, a poor injury record would just mean he'd fit right in at our club these days.

Even as a free transfer, he could be seen as a risk given his injury problems, but with Newcastle desperate for defensive cover, that is a risk well worth taking.

Nothing is ever as simple as it should be

However, The Daily MailMail claims that a deal might not be as straightforward as Newcastle would hope.

Steve Nickson is moving ahead with recruitment in the absence of a director of football following Dan Ashworth's departure, and there's a feeling that he could hit a couple of roadblocks in negotiations.

Talks are ongoing, but there's a feeling that fees for intermediaries could pose a problem with the transaction. Hopefully, they won't prove to be too much of an issue, though.