Liverpool and Newcastle set to do battle for former Bristol City defender Lloyd Kelly

Liverpool and Newcastle are set to do battle for the signature of former Bristol City defender Lloyd Kelly.

The January transfer window is set to open and there could be a return on the cards for one of their best exports.

Kelly, who hails from Bristol and achieved the dream of playing for his hometown club, could be involved in a transfer battle between the six-time Champions League winners and one of the richest teams in world football.

A report from the DailyMail says that manager Eddie Howe has suggested a list of players that he would like to sign.

Howe of course signed Kelly from Bristol City when he was manager of Bournemouth and would like to be reunited with one of his former players.

Kelly is not the only centre-back on the list as Matthias Ginter, Tottenham’s Joe Rodon and Lille’s Sven Botman have also been put forward.

Newcastle under their new Saudi owners will want to preserve their top-flight status so the cheque book may be opened to recruit the right players to complete that task.

There was more made about Newcastle’s interest in Kelly than there was Liverpool but the same outlet reported interest from the Reds when the 23-year-old was at Ashton Gate as a player.

Kelly was an academy product of City, joining the club at 12-years-old after playing for local side Bristol Central.

He was in and around the first-team picture from 2015 and made his first senior appearance for the club in August 2017.

In his first league campaign for the club he was voted for by supporters as the Best Young Player of the season.

Kelly would then go on to make more than double of his 11 league appearances previously, featuring 32 times in the 2018/19 season, helping them to an eighth place finish.

Despite just over a full season of Championship appearances under his belt, Bournemouth acquired his services with an undisclosed fee, reported to be around £13 million.

He made nine appearances in the Premier League but could not help the Cherries from being relegated.

Kelly remained with the Dorset club and played 36 times in their first season back in the Championship as they finished in the top six but lost out to Brentford in the play-offs.

This season he took the captains armband in the absence of Steve Cook and has played in 17 out of the 21 Championship fixtures played, including a return to Ashton Gate where his new side prevailed 2-0.

City have had some success in nurturing young talent which has eventually played in the Premier League, in the same season that Kelly departed, they sold Adam Webster to Brighton & Hove Albion for a record £20m.