Newcastle United star ‘wanted’ by Jose Mourinho amid Aston Villa standoff

Kelly moved to Newcastle United on a free transfer in the summer and was one of just two senior outfield players to join the club. However, the emergence of Lewis Hall, a settled centre-back partnership and the return of Sven Botman has meant Kelly has had to be patient for minutes on the pitch.

A 90-minute stint against Bromley on Sunday marked just the fourth time he had completed a full match for the Magpies but he is again expected to fall back onto the bench for Newcastle United’s clash with Wolves on Wednesday night. A lack of gametime, therefore, could explain why Kelly has been linked with a surprising departure from Tyneside.

Reports from Turkey suggest that Kelly is wanted by Fenerbahce this month. Fenerbahce are currently managed by former Manchester United and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho and sit 2nd in the Turkish Super Lig table, although they trail leaders and fierce rivals Galatasaray by eight points.

Whilst reports in Turkey hint that Kelly could be a target for Fenerbahce this month, Mourinho’s side are currently working on a deal to try and sign Diego Carlos from Aston Villa. The Brazilian appears to be their preferred target this summer, but the Villains are resisting current offers for him until they match their asking price.

The 31-year-old has 18-months left on his current deal at Villa Park and is one of the club’s top-earners. Despite this, Villa will not sanction a deal for Carlos to join Fenerbahce until they can source a replacement.