Former Everton captain Alan Stubbs has backed Celtic to turn Jonjoe Kenny’s loan spell into a permanent transfer at the end of this season, while speaking to the Daily Record.
With just two months of the season remaining, the future of the England U21 international is more uncertain than ever.
Carlo Ancelotti barely handed Kenny a sniff of a chance before farming him out to Celtic in January and, with Everton going full steam ahead for Norwich City’s Max Aarons, it seems unlikely that the Liverpool-born right-back has a role to play at Goodison Park going forward.
Celtic, meanwhile, recently parted ways with the manager who brought him to Glasgow two months ago.
It remains to be seen how Neil Lennon’s successor, whoever that may be, feels about using a sizeable portion of his summer budget to keep Kenny clad in green-and-white.
Although Stubbs, who swapped Celtic for Everton in 2001, believes the dethroned Scottish champions should seize any opportunity they get to keep one of the most talented young full-backs in British football.
“If you are asking me the question about whether Celtic should try to keep him, I’d say it’s a no-brainer – 100 per cent,” Stubbs said of a 23-year-old he used to coach at Everton’s Finch Farm training ground.
“It all depends on what various parties want to do; what Jonjoe wants to do, what Everton want to do, just as importantly, what Celtic’s next manager wants to do.
“But there are a lot worse options out there than Jonjoe, that’s for sure. And it’s not just about ability with him.
“I can’t speak highly enough about him. It’s not just his ability, take that away. Speaking about an individual and as a person, he was a pleasure.
“Everything you want to see in a player who you want to do well, he epitomises that. His attitude, his desire, the affection in terms of the effect he has on others is brilliant.”
According to the Times, Everton’s valuation of Kenny is likely to ruin any hopes Celtic might have had of striking a full-time deal.
And, with ADO Den Haag starlet Milan van Ewijk linked, the Hoops might have already found Kenny’s replacement.
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