Phil Hay has revealed that Leeds United did have an interest in Kenedy during the transfer window.
Marcelo Bielsa has seen his squad decimated by injuries this season, but with pictures emerging of Kalvin Phillips, Liam Cooper and Charlie Cresswell all back in training, the need for signings in January may have lessened.
Who is more valuable to Leeds?
Phillips!
Raphinha!
However, that did not stop them from holding an interest in Chelsea attacker Kenedy, who has not lived up to expectations since his £7.2 million move back in 2015, having racked up 54 Premier League appearances during that time, yielding four goals and three assists – however, the bulk of them came during a loan spell at Newcastle United, which saw him fade away in his second season on Tyneside.
While speaking on The Phil Hay Show, the journalist claimed that there was some interest from Leeds in the Brazilian.
“They did look at Kenedy at Chelsea as well, but it was all pretty tentative because the bottom line was if [Crysencio] Summerville was staying, nobody was going to come in.”
TIF Thoughts on Leeds’ interest in Kenedy…
While Leeds were seemingly looking at swooping in for Kenedy, who was recalled from his loan spell out in Brazil by Thomas Tuchel earlier this campaign, it would surely have been a last-minute scramble for someone if he did arrive, as nothing so far in his career shows he would fit in at Leeds – or any Premier League side, for that matter.
Kenedy’s only relative success since arriving in England was a half-season loan at Newcastle which saw him start 13 league games and register two goals and two assists as he helped the Magpies avoid the drop. However, when he returned for a second loan stint in the next campaign, his true form showed with one goal and an assist in 28 appearances, and he has not played in England since then.
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