Premier League star has already issued farewell message ahead of Newcastle United move

AFC Bournemouth have confirmed the departure of Lloyd Kelly with the versatile defender expected to join Newcastle United on a free transfer.

Newcastle are in advanced talks with Kelly ahead of his contract expiring on June 30. He has interest from overseas, including Roma and Atletico Madrid, and has previously been linked with Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool but the Magpies are confident of wrapping up a deal.

The 25-year-old is well known to Eddie Howe, who signed Kelly for the Cherries for £13million from Bristol City in 2019. His exit was announced alongside four other first-team players.

“AFC Bournemouth can confirm its list of retained players following the end of the 2023/24 Premier League season,” a club statement read. “Lloyd Kelly is among five members of the first-team squad to depart the club upon the conclusion of their contracts, alongside Emiliano Marcondes, Darren Randolph, Jamal Lowe and Ryan Fredericks.

“Defender Kelly played 141 times for AFC Bournemouth in all competitions, as well as captaining the club to promotion back to the Premier League in 2021/22.

“There are five departures from the development squad as Ben Greenwood, Baylin Johnson, Ferdinand Okoh, Cameron Plain and Euan Pollock move on to pastures new.

“In addition, Ollie Eagle, Harry Redknapp, Jack Holman and Noah Crisp will depart the under-18s. The club would like to thank all those departing players for their efforts during their time at Vitality Stadium and we wish them well for the future.”

Kelly informed Bournemouth he would be leaving before the end of the campaign. He posted a farewell message to fans a day after the final day of the 2023-24 season.

He posted on Instagram: “Five years ago, I became a Cherries player and stepped into the Premier League, something I wanted to achieve since the beginning of my career.. A boy started this journey back in 2019 but now a man is closing this chapter with FEC respect and the values that I hold close.

“Over the years myself and everyone involved with this club has been on a similar journey which has included a lot of happiness and success but on the other hand disappointment and that's part and parcel of this game.

“Being able to captain this team back into The Premier League will always be one the highlights of my time here. It was a honour to lead the boys out every week and be able to say at the end of that season ‘we done what we set out to do’. Fast forward to this season and achieving our highest points tally in The Premier League just shows how far we've progressed over the years.

“To everyone who I've worked with, players, coaches, staff, the board, physios and everyone who makes the club operate. I appreciate the love and support that you've given me through it all and the relationships formed I'll always be grateful for.

“To the fans, there has been a lot of speculation around my future at the club and I've left it in the background because I still had a job to do... one of the values I follow is to finish what you started, so I did that to the level I know it should be. I appreciate the support I had over the years and I wish everyone at AFC Bournemouth the best in the future.”