Newcastle United defender Lloyd Kelly has completed a loan move to Juventus.
Kelly has been linked with a move away from St James' Park throughout the winter transfer window despite only joining Newcastle on a free transfer last summer.
The 26-year-old has been unable to force his way into Eddie Howe's plans, demonstrated by the fact he has only started four of his 10 Premier League appearances this season.
Kelly's lack of game alerted Turkish giants Fenerbahce, who failed with a £11m bid for the former Bournemouth man earlier this month.
While a move to Turkey failed to materialise, Juventus soon entered the race to sign Kelly before the transfer window slammed shut.
Welcome to our newest Juventus player, Lloyd Kelly! ⚪⚫
— JuventusFC 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@juventusfcen) February 3, 2025
Kelly leaves Newcastle for Juventus
On Sunday, it was reported that the Magpies had reached an agreement for Kelly to join Juventus on an initial loan deal.
The Serie A giants have now confirmed that they have signed Kelly on loan with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.
In an official statement, Juventus revealed that they will pay Newcastle a €3m (£2.5m), before they pay a further €14.5m (£12.1m) to sign him on a permanent deal in the summer.
The left-footed defender becomes the second Premier League player to join Thiago Motta's side in the winter transfer window.
Earlier this month, Chelsea's Renato Veiga joined the Old Lady on a loan deal until the end of the season, although there is no option to make his move permanent.
© Imago
Kelly in line to make Champions League bow
Kelly joins a club that are currently sitting in fifth place in the Serie A table, with two points separating them from the top four.
Juventus are also competing in the Champions League knockout rounds after finishing in 20th positon in the league phase.
As long as he is added to Juventus' Champions League squad, Kelly could make his first appearance in UEFA competition in next week's knockout playoff round first leg against Sporting Lisbon.
Kelly will compete with the likes of Federico Gatti, Pierre Kalulu and Veiga for a place in central defence, while he will also provide Motta with a useful option at left-back.
