As reported by LiverpoolEcho, Schalke’s sporting director Jochen Schneider has voiced his ambition of keeping Jonjoe Kenny a little longer. The Everton youngster moved to Gelsenkirchen on a season-long loan deal in the summer. But, Schneider told SportBILD, “We are happy that we have him. Not only as a player but as a person of a type that suits Schalke. I hope we will have the chance to keep him longer.”
In this article, however, we will discuss why Everton must not let Schalke sign Kenny permanently anytime soon.
Everton’s right-back woes
In order to figure out Kenny’s potential value at Everton, it’s essential to understand the club’s ongoing problems in the right-back department. Manager Marco Silva was particularly desperate to sign a right-back in the summer, who could have provided competition for Seamus Coleman.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Thomas Meunier was a target. But, a move didn’t materialise. As a result, the Toffees ended up signing Monaco’s Djibril Sidibe on a season-long loan deal. The Frenchman was coming on the back of an awful season in Ligue 1 last term, and at Everton, he struggled to get enough game time.
Sidibe made his Premier League debut only at the start of this month. He was largely considered as an understudy of Coleman, whose performance against Burnley didn’t go down all too well with Silva.
Either way, Everton, at right-back, have lacked the creativity and flair that is in abundance on the opposite flank, thanks to the industry of Lucas Digne. The likes of Coleman and Sidibe hasn’t shown enough promise, and now Silva must look elsewhere.
Why Kenny could be key in Everton’s future
After being overlooked by Silva for the majority of last season, Kenny has made quite an impact so far in his loan spell at Schalke. The Englishman has emerged as the club’s first-choice right-back and has helped their new coach David Wagner to deal with the early absence of Alessandro Schopf.
Not to mention, it has also allowed the ex-Huddersfield Town boss to utilise the industrious Daniel Caligiuri in a more attacking role. As for Kenny, himself, his incredible work-rate coupled with his tenacity have made him a tailor-made fit for Schalke’s aggressive brand of football that offers very little space to the opposition, much like Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Silva, in that regard, could utilise Kenny for the same reason next season. The youngster’s presence in Everton’s right-back slot would allow the Toffees to successfully employ a left-sided overload, given Digne’s technical prowess. And at the age of just 22, Kenny might just be the long-term answer for Everton’s right-back problems.
