Tottenham have second thoughts about signing Prem defender after recurring issue changes transfer plans

Tottenham Hotspur have put the brakes on a move for Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly after he suffered an injury, a report has explained.

Kelly is one of several centre-backs that Tottenham have been looking at recently after noticing a need for more depth there while recent recruit Micky van de Ven has been on the sidelines.

The Bournemouth man is into the final year of his contract on the South Coast, so could be in line for a big move in 2024.

TEAMtalk revealed earlier this month, though, that Bournemouth would reject January offers for Kelly. They would prefer to keep him on board for their battle against relegation, running the risk of losing him for free by the end of it.

And in news that will be music to Bournemouth’s ears, it now appears that Tottenham have crossed Kelly off their list of January targets.

According to the Daily Telegraph, Tottenham have been put off by Kelly’s recent injury record after he had to go off at half time of Bournemouth’s win over Sheffield United on Saturday with a hamstring setback.

It remains to be seen how long Kelly will be out for, but there would be little sense behind Tottenham signing someone shaking off an injury to cover the gaps created by their own absences.

And it is not the first time Kelly has been prone to injury, since he missed a portion of last season before the World Cup break with an ankle issue.

Whether or not Tottenham could revisit Kelly in the summer, once he has proved his fitness again, remains to be seen.

They are not the only club interested in the 25-year-old, which puts them in danger of missing out on his signature if rival suitors show less concern about his physical status.

Tottenham rule out risky departures

The Telegraph‘s update on Kelly is mentioned in an article that focuses on how injury issues are affecting Tottenham’s transfer plans for the winter window.

In terms of outgoings, it is emphasised that Tottenham may lock down Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg because of injuries to fellow midfielders Rodrigo Bentancur and James Maddison.

The report also claims Oliver Skipp will be off the market, even though there were not too many suggestions beforehand that he could be on the move.

As for signings, the Telegraph insists adding a new defender remains on the agenda, even if it might not be Kelly, while a winger could also be requested.

Both of those requirements are because of injury issues within their current squad. Although Tottenham are not playing in Europe this season and are already out of the Carabao Cup, they may still need better squad depth.

They will now have to focus on which names might be the best to tick off from their shortlists for each position.

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