Bournemouth opinion: The Cherries sign Lloyd Kelly – Good move?
Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth completed the signing of Bristol City’s highly rated left-back Lloyd Kelly on a long-term deal. Sky Sports revealed that the 20-year-old cost the Cherries £13million and their fans should be really excited to see him in action next season.
Bournemouth have had a mixed season in the Premier League where they finished 14th, a position that doesn’t really merit their performances this season. Cherries fans have gone from the high of thumping Chelsea 4-0 to losing terribly against relegated sides Fulham and Cardiff City this campaign.
Their away form has been quite concerning having won just 7 out of 19 games but they are a decent force at the Vitality where on their day, they can beat anybody as evident with their fantastic result against Chelsea.
Eddie Howe will have the hard task of strengthening the squad in the summer and he has started on a positive note with the signing of young Lloyd Kelly, who has the potential to make a real difference for them next season.
The 20-year-old had a very impressive season for Bristol City in the Championship for whom he featured 32 times this campaign. A joy to watch on the ball, Kelly has provided them incredible balance between attack and defence and he will do just that for the Cherries next season.
Kelly, despite being under 6 feet tall, is immensely strong in possession and has the ability to shrug off his markers to get away. The youngster rapid with and without the ball and his dribbling skills allows him to evade any attempted tackles by the opposition.
Like most young full-backs in the modern game, Kelly is attack-minded. His first thought on receiving the ball is to go forward but that takes nothing away from how good a defender he is.
He has at times featured at centre-back this season where his positioning and reading of the game has been really impressive.
His range of passing is very impressive considering his age and he has shown the ability to pick out a teammate who is either right next to him or a long way out in the opposition half.
Kelly has shown real promise and exposure in the Premier League against some of the best in the business will only make him better next season.
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Conclusion
Bournemouth have started off the summer transfer window in fine fashion and Lloyd Kelly will turn out to be a bargain for them in the coming years. He will learn a lot under Eddie Howe and Bournemouth is the perfect place for him to showcase his skills next season.