Newcastle United would like nothing better than to pen down Kenedy’s contract on a permanent basis next summer. The on-loan Chelsea player has impressed in his short stint with the Magpies and is currently Rafael Benitez’s good books following the brace he scored against Southampton last weekend.
The United boss was quoted, “It’s more than his energy and pace, he is a player who is comfortable on the ball. His delivery, his crosses and set pieces, he is somebody who is different and he is a player playing with confidence now.”
“We already had a bit of pace with Atsu and Murphy and the ability and work rate of Ritchie, but Kenedy is good on the ball, he does not give it away easily and he gives us more control.”
A product of the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Kenedy moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2015 from Fluminense for a fee of £6.3m. He joined primarily as an attacking winger but was fielded in the fullback position by the manager, Antonio Conte in the first half of the season. Still very young, Kenedy was brought in as a future prospect but has faced his share of problems in settling into the English game.
His loan spell with Watford last season got cut short in January 2016 after appearing for the club only once. He has just registered 360 minutes of game time with the Blues this season and last appeared in a Chelsea shirt in the 2-1 win over Bournemouth in the quarterfinals of the EFL Cup.
A loan move was imminent and Newcastle are currently benefiting from the player’s unsettlement with his parent club. Kenedy has finally formed an identity in the English game ever since his switch to St. James’ Park in the January transfer window.
Benitez has delegated major responsibilities on the Brazilian and instead of crumbling to the pressure, Kenedy has taken on the challenge, head-on. His sleek footwork and a dominant has been put to good use on the left-wing of the United lineup.
With the 3-0 win over Southampton in the weekend, the Tyneside club has moved into the 13th spot of the Premier League table, 5 points ahead of the relegation scraps. Despite facing heavy financial limitations from the ownership, Benitez has so far been successful in fulfilling the club’s ambitions.
Survival is not guaranteed just yet with 8 games still left in the season but things are looking optimistic for the United faithful. It would be in their best interest to sign the young winger to a permanent deal for an even better 2018/19 campaign.
