When reports first emerged from Italy back in January that Juventus were interested in signing Lloyd Kelly, more than a few eyebrows were raised.

Having only joined on a free from Bournemouth at the beginning of the 2024/25 season, the defender was given a few opportunities in the Toon lineup, but his performances left a lot to be desired.

So when the Italian giants came to the table with a loan offer which included an obligation to buy worth close to €20m, Toon chiefs would have been mad to turn down near-instant profit on the player.

But nearly six months later, Juventus looks to already be regretting the move, and fresh news from Italy seems to hint that Kelly’s time in Turin could be coming to an end.

Kelly set for summer transfer…again!?

According to Sport Italia’s Giovanni Albanese, Juventus are set to put Lloyd Kelly back on the transfer market, just days after the two clubs confirmed the transfer on a permanent basis.

Writing on X, Albanese posted that Kelly has ‘not convinced the club’ with his performances, and that an exit plan has been taken into consideration.

In his place, it’s believed current manager Igor Tudor wants to buy Marseille centre back Leonardo Balerdi, suggesting replacements are already being eyed up by the Serie A giants.

Juventus are in Club World Cup action against Emirati club Al Ain next week, so it will be interesting to see if Kelly plays any part.

Where did it all go wrong?

As part of a disastrous spate of signings by sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, who himself is expected to depart very soon, Kelly has been subject to immense criticism by the Italian media.

Some calamitous defending in the Champions League certainly didn’t help Kelly’s case as Juventus were knocked out in the play-offs against PSV, with Kelly playing all 210 minutes of the tie plus extra time.

Having initially been signed by Thiago Motta, Kelly’s performances had looked to be steadily improving since Tudor took charge in March. But with the Frenchman set to stay in the dugout for next season, it’s looking like Kelly will be part of a massive overhaul at the club.

No club has yet emerged as a potential future home for Kelly. He would be surplus to requirements on Tyneside, with the left half of the defence sufficiently covered for the time being.

But could a remarkable return to Bournemouth be on the cards, just 12 months after leaving the Cherries on a free?

Andoni Iraola is facing the prospect of losing Illia Zabarnyi on top of having already sold Dean Huijsen this window, so could we really see a welcome return for the 26-year-old who will be wanting to close the chapter on a tough year at Newcastle and Juventus? Stranger things have happened.