NUFC now considering ambitious move to sign Chelsea duo in January?

An interesting transfer piece emerged from the Chronicle this week, claiming Newcastle could pursue a permanent deal for Kenedy in January – a move that could enable Rafa Benitez to sign long-term target Ruben Loftus-Cheek on loan.

The story claims that Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri has ‘no intention’ of playing Kenedy, with the club also likely to cash in given the Brazilian is now entering the final 18 months of his contract at Stamford Bridge.

As it stands, we have no domestic loan deals left – with Rondon (West Brom) and Kenedy (Chelsea) taking up our allocated two – however turning Kenedy’s temporary deal into a permanent one would allow another Premier League player to arrive on loan.

The piece states that Loftus-Cheek is a player Rafa ‘rates highly’, with him being someone who could fill several problem positions – as well as being an inexpensive option for Mike Ashley (especially when ‘no.10’ target Miguel Almiron looks set to cost £20m plus).

Here’s a snippet from the Chronicle’s piece:

‘A permanent deal for Kenedy would seemingly make sense for all parties.

‘Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri has no intention of playing Kenedy and, with the winger into the final 18 months of his Blues deal, he needs a permanent move.

‘Newcastle’s positive relationship with Chelsea may see them negotiate a price lower than the £30m they were initially quoted during the summer – and a club-record deal for the Brazilian would prove to be a real statement of intent, and a sign of backing for Benitez, from the United hierarchy.

‘What’s more, if Kenedy’s temporary transfer was turned into a permanent deal, that would free up a domestic loan for Benitez and Newcastle to utilise for the second half of the campaign.

‘Chelsea’s Ruben Loftus-Cheek is a player Benitez rates highly, though Newcastle would need to sign the England international permanently or turn one of their loans into a transfer, as they have reached the maximum permitted level of temporary signings.’

Loftus-Cheek is an unrealistic target if a permanent deal was being discussed (as Chelsea would want silly money), but it’s been confirmed just this week that he will go out on loan in the new year after a lack of game time so far this season.

It’s a long shot, with so many factors having the potential to stop this double-deal from taking place, however it sounds like something the club will be considering.

(Fancy writing for us? Send any articles/ideas over to us at [email protected] & we’ll get back to you!)

About Olly Hawkins

As a Junior Magpie since birth and season ticket holder, I eat, sleep and breathe all things NUFC! Here at the blog, I aim to bring you news, views, match reports and transfer exclusives as and when I get them.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *