Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has confirmed that rumoured Tottenham target Lloyd Kelly now faces an extended spell on the sidelines.
It has been well documented that Spurs are prioritising signing a central defender in January and Kelly is reported to be one of the names at the top of the Lilywhites’ wishlist (GiveMeSport).
The 25-year-old has a little over six months left on his contract with the Cherries (Transefermarkt) and a whole host of clubs are thus said to be watching his situation closely, including the likes of Liverpool (Football Insider), Arsenal (Tuttosport), Juventus (Fabrizio Romano) and AC Milan (TMW).
However, it was asserted by TEAMtalk a couple of weeks ago that despite the growing interest in Kelly’s services, Tottenham remain his most likely destination.
(Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Lloyd Kelly pics up serious injury amid Spurs interest
However, Spurs’ pursuit of the centre-back might now be jeopardised after it emerged that the defender is now expected to face a lengthy spell on the treatment table.
Iraola did not say exactly how long Kelly is going to be out for, simply stating that the Englishman will be out of action for ‘some weeks’.
The Spaniard told Bournemouth’s official website: “It’s really bad news for Lloyd Kelly. He has a muscle injury that will keep him out for some weeks.
“He has been performing really well since the beginning. At centre-back, he’s done very well, on the side he’s done very well and is a very good defender.
“Obviously, you never want your best players injured, but this is happening to all the teams and we have to be ready to be solid without him and we have very good alternatives.
“The timing isn’t good with a lot of games coming up, key games for us, but we hope that nothing else happens in training and we’ll have the same squad available to us from the weekend.”
Spurs Web Opinion
This injury might end Tottenham’s interest in Kelly for January as the North London side would not want to pay a transfer fee for the centre-back without full clarity on his fitness, especially considering that he would be available on a free transfer next summer.
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