With fans desperate to see the club sign Kenedy permanently this summer after his impressive spell on loan, we’ve reached out to a Chelsea fan who knows the winger more than most – and he believes the Brazilian is ‘very likely’ to leave Chelsea this summer.
Our question and answer session can be seen in more detail below, but one thing that stuck with me is the insight he offered into Chelsea’s current financial situation. They look set to miss out on Champions League football, so it’s believed that Abramovich will be looking to cash in on some of their ‘fringe’ players to raise funds for first-team recruitment this summer – and Kenedy will fall into that category.
Without further adieu, here’s our chat with Raj about all things Kenedy:
Q1) First things first, what do you and Chelsea fans (in general) make of Kenedy? Is he a player you have high hopes for or just another talent who’ll be loaned out and sold for a profit?
“Kenedy was a player I had very high hopes for when he first arrived. However, once watching him develop, through no fault of his own, he’s seemed a little lost unfortunately.
“He came as a LW but then got moved to a LB then to try playing LWB. So due to that he hasn’t really found a identity when at Chelsea. He never really fit into the manager system at Chelsea.
“Seems more likely than ever that he will be sold this summer for a healthy profit. I believe we paid round £7 million for him so we’ll easily receive double that in the current market.”
Q2) Kenedy has been a sensation since arriving on loan in January, giving us quality on the ball, pace, power and a surprising amount of battle too. He won’t be able to play against you next Sunday, so has played his final game at St James’ Park this season – but we’re hoping it’s not his last. We’re desperate to see him sign permanently, but do you think Chelsea will be interested in selling him?
“At this moment in time Chelsea are going to miss out on Champions league football. This comes with massive financial implications, so I see us selling players like Kenedy. For Chelsea to recruit well this summer, fringe players such as Kenedy will have to be sold for a profit.
“This model works for Chelsea, investing in youth and selling for a profit.”
3) You being open to selling him is only half the battle. If you were happy to let him leave permanently, what sort of fee do you think he’ll demand?
“I believe we would want something in the region of £14-18 million from the sale of Kenedy, but with first option to buy him back inserted into the sale.”
4) He’s regularly said how thankful he is to NUFC for giving him the chance to play each week, he’s blossomed under Benitez & has already built up quite a rapport with the fans and love for the city. In addition, he recently admitted that he’d be ‘happy’ to sign permanently. It all sounds good, but there’s several obstacles to overcome. Do you think he’d be tempted to fight for place at Chelsea or move to one of the big clubs he’s been linked with, or do you see him opting for a permanent move to Newcastle – a club where he knows he’ll get games each week..
“I am quite Kenedy won’t be staying. The only way this changes is if a new manager comes in, plays a different system and decides to give him a chance. With the current system (3-4-2-1), there really isn’t a place for him here.
“After the lessons he’ll have learned at Chelsea, moving to a big club as a young lad from Brazil, Iwould like to think he would make the move to NUFC instead of teams like PSG and Bayern. Just for the sake of game time.
“Hopefully he has the ambition to see how good he can be. This is only done by playing every week and not by collecting big pay cheques while sitting on benches or playing in China.
“With that being said, if he does leave Chelsea, which seems highly likely, I do hope he goes to NUFC. This depends on keeping your Benitez. Without Rafa I don’t think Newcastle would be an attractive option for players to develop.”
Some really interesting stuff here from Raj in response to our questions.
Of course, none of us know what’s actually going on behind the scenes, but, as a Chelsea fan, it sounds like he’s quite certain Kenedy will be sold this summer based on his club’s current situation.
The only way it sounds like he may stay is if a new manager comes in and loves him – but, knowing how Chelsea work, Abramovich may have the final say on that anyway!
