Newcastle still looking to turn Kenedy loan into permanent deal — report

Having spent most of his three years in England as a left (wing-)back thanks to Chelsea’s lack of depth on that flank, Kenedy was finally able to show why the Blues made the investment in him in the first place with his half-season loan spell at Newcastle. The 22-year-old even got linked with the likes of Bayern Munich and PSG at the end of it, although those have died down in recent times. However, Newcastle’s interest in the Brazilian is still very much alive.

Former Chelsea interim manager Rafael Benítez is still in charge up north, and while he remains on a very tight wage and transfer budget — which will be the case as long as Mike Ashley remains the owner — he will be trying to improve Newcastle beyond their 10th-place finish last season.

His main target looks to be Crystal Palace winger Andros Townsend, rated at £18 million, but with Matt Ritchie set to leave, possibly to recently relegated Stoke City for £15 million, there should be space for Kenedy in the squad. Sure enough, according to the Telegraph, Newcastle are trying to turn Kenedy’s temporary stay into a permanent one.

No fees are mentioned, although it is fair to assume the asking price would range around the £20 million reported last month — a reasonable price for someone who seems ready to have his breakthrough, though maybe Chelsea will cut them a deal with a buyback included.