Newcastle United are looking to inject more pace into their team, with Brazilian youngster Kenedy and Ex Magpie Andros Townsend on their summer wish-list. Kenedy did not take time to win the appreciation of the Newcastle faithful as he slipped into the number 15 shirt and scored 2 goals and assisted 2 more, in 13 appearances for the Magpies in the second half of the last season. Naturally gifted with speed and trickery in his arsenal, the other Premier League teams soon realized what he was capable of delivering on the football pitch.
Kenedy was on loan from current FA Cup holders Chelsea and with a shortage of opportunities at West London; Kenedy would welcome a move away, in order to gain more first-team experience. He is quite capable of making a name for himself in the Premier League so a move to Newcastle United would seem like a smart decision.
Talks of Matt Ritchie’s departure could pave the way for the duo (Kenedy and Townsend), with Stoke City and Bournemouth both equally interested in the Scotsman. He is being valued by Stoke at a bargain £15m.
It was smart thinking on the part of Rafael Benitez as Newcastle United secured the free signing of South Korean midfielder Ki Sung-Yeung from Swansea City. Ki says he looks forward to partnering up with the Englishman Jonjo Shelvey at the centre of midfield. The duo had a successful partnership during their time at Swansea where they bossed the midfield together and this deal looks like a smart move.
“I know Jonjo well and have good memories of playing with him at Swansea. It was the best season of my career with Jonjo. I know him very well and how good he is. Hopefully, we can help make another good season. This is a club where the players can have pride and the facilities and fans here are perfect.”
Now coming to Kenedy, he was valued highly before joining the Blues but failed to make a serious impact under Jose Mourinho. His record-setting fastest premier league goal during the 2015-2016 campaign, in a 2-1 away win at Norwich City was not enough to help him keep a place in the starting 11.
The following season he was loaned out to Watford F.C. but frequent injuries kept him out of the side as he failed to make an impact. With Ki Sung-Yeung already a part of the Magpies setup, the addition of Kenedy would definitely go a long way in helping Newcastle United reach their former glory days.
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The season ahead is long and weary, but with Newcastle already showing a positive approach in the transfer market, they might have just gained an upper hand over their league rivals for a top half league finish come May 2019.
