Chelsea may end up keeping Kenedy if they run out of time and options
By George Perry
Chelsea cast Kenedy out of Asia and out of Antonio Conte’s pre-season training after his social media gaffe. Despite this shunning, the Blues may have to retain Kenedy if they have no other replacements and nowhere to send him.
Somewhere between the first-team locker room at Cobham and the Costa family residence in Brazil, Kenedy waits and wanders in Blue purgatory. Chelsea gave him a solo ticket back to London to avert an international incident during pre-season. He was already on the bubble for the squad before he whipped out his phone that day in China. The ensuing fracas seemed to guarantee a loan, if not a transfer.
That was in mid-July, and it is now August 17. Chelsea have no left wing-back transfers on the horizon. The starting XI against Tottenham will likely include two players – Jeremie Boga and Andreas Christensen – that Antonio Conte probably did not intend to start until at least the Carabao Cup.
With so few players of any position, capacity and experience, Chelsea may not be able to off-load Kenedy. His 18 Premier League appearances are well more than Boga, Christensen or Charly Musonda have. If anything were to happen to Marcos Alonso, Kenedy alone has the raw materials necessary to be a left wing-back. And if, somehow, Chelsea have another absence to cover, Kenedy may need to slot in as winger.
Related Story: Tottenham, Arsenal close the doors on selling Danny Rose, Ox to Chelsea
On the other side of the coin, Chelsea are running low on time and destinations to arrange a loan for Kenedy. Most other teams in the Premier League have their squads further in place than the Blues. If they needed a player, they would have acquired him by now. Kenedy would have been a more coveted loan target in mid-July, when teams were in flux and before the “incident.”
Newcastle United remain the most likely landing spot. Rafael Benitez rates Kenedy highly, and if Chelsea are serious about someday bringing Kenedy into the first team, Benitez is among the best to develop him.
However, Kenedy’s summer indiscretion could count against him at Newcastle. Newcastle are dealing with another scandal from Jonjo Shelvey. History indicates this will not be his last of the season. Kenedy is young and hopefully learned from his mistake, while Shelvey does no such thing. Even so, Newcastle may not be inclined to invite more trouble – past, present or potential – into their club.
Next: To 3-4-3 or not to 3-4-3: Antonio Conte's decisions for a sparse Chelsea XI
Both Chelsea and Kenedy could do worse than to stay together this season. Kenedy did not impress in his short pre-season experience, but he still has the potential to be the left wing-back of the future. If he and the club can move forward and continue his development, he could become the option Chelsea currently lack.