Liverpool interested in signing Bournemouth defender: Reports

Liverpool reportedly hold an interest in Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly and he could be available on a cut-price deal in January.

Football Insider reports that Jurgen Klopp's Reds are keeping tabs on Kelly, who is also on Tottenham Hotspur's radar. The 24-year-old has a year left on his contract and the Cherries may be willing to cash in on him.

Kelly can even strike a pre-contract in January should Bournemouth not extend his deal before the winter transfer window arrives. It appears he's not short of suitors given Liverpool are being rivaled by Tottenham for his signature.

The versatile defender who can play both at center-back and left-back has played three times across competitions this season. He arrived at the Vitality Stadium from EFL Championship outfit Bristol City in 2019 for £13 million.

Kelly has since made 119 appearances, scoring two goals and providing seven assists. He played a key role in helping the Cherries stay up last season, appearing 24 times under former manager Gary O'Neil.

Liverpool boss Klopp may be looking to add defensive depth to his side which has made a solid start to the season. The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson could do with competition as they look to bounce back from last season's disappointing campaign.

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Richard Dunne reckons Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk often places blame on others

Van Dijk's leadership has been questioned.

Van Dijk has been one of Liverpool's best signings under Klopp, arriving from Southampton in 2018 for £75 million. He is regarded as one of the Merseysiders' greatest ever defenders.

The Reds skipper has made 225 appearances, winning the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup and the League Cup. However, the Dutchman has started to recieve some criticsm amid questionable performances.

This was the case after Van Dijk represented the Netherlands in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying action against Gilbratar on Thursday (September 7). Ronald Koeman's men ran out 3-0 winners but the Liverpool defender was called out.

Former Manchester City center-back Richard Dunne has claimed that Van Dijk sometimes places blames on other and can perform individualistically. He said (via TBR Football):

"They won the game against Gibraltar, but against teams that are a similar level they have really struggled. You don’t want to pin it on certain players, but the captain of the team at centre-back, Van Dijk, is one of the players who highlights the problems in the side."

Dunne seemed to hint that he doesn't view the Reds and Netherlands captain as a good leader:

"He seems to be very individualistic, he’s always pointing at people, pointing out their errors and nobody is working on their errors."

Van Dijk was appointed Liverpool captain earlier this summer after Jordan Henderson departed for Saudi side Al Ettifaq. It's a role he has been familiar with having captained the Netherlands since 2018.