Newcastle United will be hoping to keep Chelsea loanee Kenedy.
According to The Chronicle, Newcastle United boss Rafael Benitez still thinks the club can bring Kenedy back in this summer, even if only on loan from Chelsea.
After missing out on his signature last summer, Newcastle swooped to land Kenedy on loan from Chelsea in January, with Benitez finally landing his man.
Whilst the Brazilian arrived with few expectations having struggled with Chelsea and during a loan with Watford, he quickly became a fan favourite at St James’ Park.
Kenedy, 22, registered two goals and two assists in 13 appearances for Newcastle, and produced a superb display in the 3-0 home win over Southampton, which was key to the Magpies’ revival.
The winger will now return to Chelsea, but The Chronicle report that manager Rafael Benitez still believes that Newcastle can sign Kenedy this summer, even just on loan again.
It’s added that Benitez has reassured Kenedy that he will play a key role for Newcastle next season, in a bid to convince him that St James’ Park is the right place to play his football.
Other clubs such as RB Leipzig and even Liverpool have been linked with Kenedy this summer, which had seemingly dented Newcastle’s hopes of securing his signature.
Chelsea would likely command around £20million for Kenedy’s signature on a permanent basis, and with questions still hanging over Benitez’s budget, a loan deal may be Newcastle’s only hope.
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