Newcastle United attempted to sign Chelsea’s Kenedy over the summer.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has told The Telegraph that Kenedy will be given a chance to feature in the first team after his move to Newcastle United collapsed.
Kenedy, 21, joined Chelsea from Fluminense back in 2015 having emerged as one of the top young talents in Brazilian football, but his time at Stamford Bridge hasn’t quite lived up to expectations just yet.
Once a flying winger in Brazil, Kenedy has become more of a left wing back during his time with Chelsea, scoring just twice in 22 appearances.
After spending the first half of last term on loan at Watford, Kenedy was sent back to Chelsea and not only struggled for first-team football under Antonio Conte, but then got sent home from the club’s pre-season tour of China following controversial comments made on social media.
The Brazilian was heavily linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge over the summer, with Newcastle United attempting to sign him on a season-long loan deal.
The Telegraph now report that the deal collapsed last month, leaving Kenedy in limbo – but he appears set to make a return to the Chelsea squad.
Chelsea take on Nottingham Forest in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, and Conte has admitted that the game represents a good opportunity for Kenedy to get back to playing again.
Conte added that he understands Kenedy made a mistake with his inflammatory social media posts, but after his Newcastle move collapsed, he’s ready to feature for the Blues this term.
“It could be a good opportunity for Charly (Musonda) and also for Kenedy. It’s the same,” said Conte. “I think he knows very well what happened in China. For sure, he made a mistake. But I think that everyone in their life can make a mistake. Now he’s focused, he’s working very well, he understood his mistake. Now he’s ready. He’s ready to play and to show he deserves a space for the future,” he added.
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