Report suggests Newcastle’s Kenedy deal could be more difficult than expected

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Kenedy has starred at Newcastle United and surely Rafa Benitez would love to sign him permanently from Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Kenedy has been a revelation at Newcastle United since he joined on loan from Chelsea during the January transfer window.

The Brazilian winger has added some pace and trickery to a previously toothless side and inspired the 3-0 win against Southampton on Saturday with his first two goals for the club, guiding the Magpies five points clear of the relegation zone.

But Newcastle would have to part with a substantial fee to sign Kenedy on a permanent basis once this season comes to an end, as reported by the Mirror.

Kenedy is understood to be open to the idea of remaining on Tyneside, but time will tell if Mike Ashley would be willing to stump up the £15 million required, which is just £2 million short of the club’s all-time record transfer.

Although, intriguingly, the Mirror add that Chelsea refused to allow Newcastle a first option to buy clause in Kenedy’s loan deal when he completed the move north two months ago.

Far from certain

This, then, suggests a deal might be more difficult than first imagined. Maybe Chelsea knew that Newcastle are not exactly flush with cash and believed they can encourage other clubs to pay far more for Kenedy if he was to impress under Rafa Benitez.

Maybe Chelsea are keen to see how Kenedy develops elsewhere, with the possibility of welcoming him back into the first-team fold at the end of the season.

The deposed Premier League champions have seen their lack of depth exposed in a difficult campaign juggling domestic and European exploits.

As it stands, Kenedy is facing an uncertain future and, even if Newcastle do agree to pay that £15 million fee, the lack of a purchase clause means a permanent deal is far from certain.