NEWCASTLE United are "readying a summer bid" for Cherries skipper Lloyd Kelly, according to a report by Football Insider.

The Magpies have strongly been linked with Kelly since former Cherries boss Eddie Howe took over in November.

The report claims Cherries refused to sell Kelly to Newcastle in January, as the club looked to maintain their promotion bid.

Newcastle are said to be sending scouts to all of Cherries' games to watch the 23-year-old in action.

And following good reports, they are now looking to push ahead with a move to sign Kelly in the summer.

Kelly joined Cherries from Bristol City for a fee of around £13million in May 2019.

He has made 82 appearances for the Dorset club, under four different managers, scoring two goals.

Newcastle sit 14th in the Premier League table, following a recent resurgence which saw Howe named Premier League manager of the month.