Lloyd Kelly has been of interest to several clubs with Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United and Liverpool are linked.
All three clubs had been linked to defenders all summer and as a result these links do not come as a surprise.
But with the window closing last week, the links have come at a strange time.
The only explanation is that, with Kelly’s contract out at the end of the season, January may pose an opportunity to sign him for a lesser fee.
With the contract situation not looking like improving, it appears that he is likely to leave.
The question is, who could Bournemouth replace Kelly with?
Trevoh Chalobah
Chalobah is 24-years old but already has plenty of experience at the highest level.
He has played 45 Premier League games, 29 Ligue 1 games and 9 Champions League games.
An athletic, strong and skilful centre back he could be a great, versatile option for Andoni Iraola’s side to look at next summer.
The Englishman is comfortable with the ball at his feet and will hold onto it, to wait for time and space to pick the right pass.
That being said, he is still a great defender with tackling being one of his main attributes.
He would come at a hefty price due to his contract situation, but would be worth the risk at that price.
Joe Gomez
A potentially unrealistic option perhaps, but his time at Liverpool has felt like a wait for consistent game time.
Since signing from Charlton Athletic, he has had some ups and downs but it could be said he hasn’t reached the high bar set for him.
He is also out of contract in 2027, so a decent fee would have to be paid.
Like Chalobah, he is comfortable with the ball at his feet and takes his time with it.
He is able to carry the ball forward to create space for teammates and make a team question their own press.
The Englishman may be a step too far for the Cherries, but if you don’t buy a ticket, you can’t win the raffle.
Malang Sarr
A different option that some fans may not of heard, or seen much of.
The Frenchman signed for Chelsea in 2020 in a free contract that many people thought was a top signing given his pedigree.
He has made 115 appearances in Ligue 1 at 24-years old so is clearly no mug.
It hasn’t worked for him at Chelsea, only making 21 appearances since 2020.
The former OGC Nice man is good on the ball and is very adept at intercepting the ball when stepping out from the backline.
The Chelsea man, isn’t known by Mauricio Pochettino as confirmed by interviews, and also doesn’t have a squad number this season.
As a risk free option, probably costing less than £5 million, he would be great value.
