Juventus manager gives his honest opinion on former Newcastle United ace Lloyd Kelly’s debut
Lloyd Kelly has officially made his debut for Juventus after leaving Newcastle United.
Eddie Howe must deal with the consequences of letting a squad player leave midway through a season, although it was not a decision he wanted to make.
Lloyd Kelly left Newcastle United in January after growing unhappy with his minutes at the club. Kelly signed a five-year deal at Newcastle in the summer and club figures had high hopes for him. However, it did not work out for the 26-year-old who only made 14 appearances under Howe before moving to Italy.
After playing 45 minutes in his debut against Como, Italian media were unimpressed with Kelly as they believed he did not give ‘confidence’ to the Old Lady’s back line.
Juventus are adamant Kelly will be a success, but it may take time for him to fully settle in. The Serie A giants have an obligation to buy Kelly in the summer, a deal that could be worth around £17m. Sporting director Paul Mitchell included a sell-on clause in Kelly’s deal which could see the Magpies bag further millions down the line.
As the dust settles on Kelly’s first Juventus appearance, Thiago Motta has given his verdict on his appearance.
