Bournemouth will not sell West Ham target Lloyd Kelly this month, says talkSPORT's Alex Crook.
The 23-year-old has been linked with a move to the London Stadium in this transfer window, but a switch from the Vitality Stadium is starting to look increasingly unlikely.
What has been said about Kelly and West Ham?
The Telegraph reported at the end of December that West Ham were eyeing up a move for Kelly heading into the January window.
Their interest came following serious injuries to Angelo Ogbonna and Kurt Zouma, with the former set to miss the rest of the season.
Kelly, in contrast, has been available for most of his side's games this term. The Englishman has played over 20 times in the Championship, captaining Bournemouth in the majority of those games.
Ultimately, he is a vital cog in Scott Parker's team and is playing a huge role in their charge for promotion back to the Premier League.
What has Crook said about Kelly to West Ham?
With Kelly being such an important player for Bournemouth, Crook has told GIVEMESPORT that the south coast club have let him know that they will not entertain any bids this month.
Speaking to GMS, the talkSPORT reporter said: "When it comes to Lloyd Kelly, Bournemouth have made it clear to me that they're not going to entertain bids."
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Do West Ham need Kelly?
West Ham could absolutely do with a defender like Kelly. As already mentioned, the Hammers are going to be without Ogbonna for a while, so the addition of a new centre-back would be helpful to say the least.
What is also appealing about Kelly is that he can play left-back. In fact, according to Transfermarkt, the Bournemouth man has more appearances there than in central defence.
Full-back has been a problem for West Ham this season, too, with Aaron Cresswell missing all of his side's December fixtures. Simply put, Kelly's versatility looks like it could come in handy for David Moyes.
It is no surprise that the Scotsman is targeting the former Bristol City star, but it does not look like he is going to get him out of the Vitality Stadium this month.
Currently sitting in second in the Championship table, Bournemouth are in a good position as they chase promotion. With that in mind, to sell someone as essential as Lloyd in the middle of the season would be a crazy and counterproductive move.