It seems that the reports that the club have an option to buy Kenedy at the end of next season were false. Both the Chronicle and the Shields Gazette believe we don’t have a purchase clause in the loan deal for the Brazilian.
The Chronicle‘s Chief Sports Writer confirmed the news early this morning:
Straight loan for now.
— Lee Ryder (@lee_ryder) 10 July 2018
Fans on Twitter are frustrated with what they believe to be Mike Ashley’s penny pinching:
hes had no intention to spend any cash at all, last 3 windows been the same, we havent even spend what we have earned, he promised us whatever we earn we can have for transfers, that has not happened last 3 windows IMO
— jimmy kelly (@xskye69x) 10 July 2018
Option to buy… pic.twitter.com/YLUflFLyPG
— Adam Duda (@Ad4mDuda) 10 July 2018
Awesome loan signing but pretty bog standard from those at the top again. Never ceases to surprise me anymore. Same old!
— John Walker (@Macjakedom) 10 July 2018
From good to bad
— Ginkoh_NUFC (@Ginkohro) 10 July 2018
It’s a win win, we’ve got him for a nominal loan fee, if we had bought him for £20m we all know Ashley would flog him for £25 next season so we are getting him for the same length of time for peanuts
— NUFC 1892 (@TheToon1892) 10 July 2018
So we will be in the exact same situation next season. We will lose Kenedy and then be scrambling around looking for a replacement. I can’t get too excited about this tbh.
— Stuart Rain (@swrain79) 10 July 2018
Embarrassing when will club learn he will be snatched away next season
— Andy Slaughter (@AndySlaughter) 10 July 2018
No option to purchase. Shame like but least we have the lad back. That will do me.
— Dave Field (@DavidFi96207518) 10 July 2018
Verdict:
By not even including a purchase option in the deal, the club are leaving themselves wide open to the 22-year-old being poached by another club next summer if he impresses on his loan spell.
Of course, Kenedy is already a favourite among the fanbase, and certainly, that could persuade the winger to sign for us permanently eventually, but it’s frustrating to see the club not tying up a deal for the player now when we are in the perfect position to do so.