Rafa Benitez Claims Star Winger Has Priced Himself Out of Permanent £10m Summer Move

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez is fearful that the club could have missed out on the opportunity of securing a £10m move for Chelsea loanee Kenedy this summer, following the Brazilian's stunning form since arriving at St James' Park.

The 22-year-old left Stamford Bridge in January on a short-term deal as the winger looked to secure regular first team football before the summer.

Kenedy had registered just 27 appearances since moving to west London in 2015, scoring three goals and claiming the same amount of assists. 

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But the Brazil Under-23 international has already been involved in four goals since switching to Newcastle, and Benitez is concerned that the Magpies' plans to make the move permanent could have been scuppered due to Kenedy's outstanding form.

"Yes, there is a worry the value may go up, but if you say, 'Do I want him to score goals and the value will go up?', then yes, I want him to score goals," Benitez revealed, quoted by the Daily Mail.

"That is football - if you have a good player the value goes higher. But the main thing, for now, is to get to 40 points and then speak to Chelsea - so maybe we can do it on Sunday night.

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"When he receives the ball he is always comfortable. He is never scared. His pass, delivery at set-pieces, his vision - he is giving us something when we play under pressure that we didn't have.

"There is no anxiety with him. Before, we were more anxious and making more mistakes."

Kenedy could prove to be one of the most in-demand players this summer, and the winger is expected to attract interest from across Europe. As it seems unlikely that the Chelsea star will travel to the World Cup, teams could look to snap up the 22-year-old whilst their other targets are preoccupied during the competition.