Newcastle loanee Kelly makes unconvincing Juventus debut | OneFootball

New Juventus signing Lloyd Kelly made his Serie A debut as a right-back against Como, but the English defender received low ratings from Italian sports papers: ‘Something must be fixed.’

Kelly joined Juventus on loan with an obligation to buy from Newcastle on the deadline day. Juventus’ obligation to buy is tied to personal and team targets.

Kelly made his Juventus and Serie A debut on Friday in a 2-1 win over Como, replacing Nicolò Savona in the right-back position during the half-time break.

Newcastle loanee Kelly makes unconvincing Juventus debut

Lloyd Kelly Juventus Cristiano Giuntoli

However, his debut performance with the Bianconeri was unconvincing as he was rated 5.5/10 by all Italian sports papers.

“He had to deal with Strefezza ‘on fire’ and was not always confident,” said Gazzetta.

“He played on the left. Took a risk and made a couple of blocks,” added Corriere dello Sport.

Tuttosport wrote that Kelly was “thrown into the fire as a full-back, but something must be fixed.”

Kelly joined Newcastle United on a free transfer from Bournemouth in July 2024, reuniting with coach Eddie Howe. During the first part of the 2024-25 season at  St. James’ Park, he made 14 appearances, totalling 596 minutes, and provided one assist.