Schalke director wants to keep Kenny beyond this season

Schalke sporting director Jochen Schneider has admitted that he hopes Jonjoe Kenny can remain with the club beyond the current season.

The Everton right-back joined the Bundesliga side on a season-long loan this summer, with the intention that with more regular senior game time he could return to Goodison Park ready to compete next season.

Since his move to Gelsenkirchen, the 22-year old has excelled for the club, quickly establishing himself as an important mainstay in David Wagner’s defence.

Kenny’s impressive displays have naturally given rise to talk and speculation that he could be wanted back on a permanent deal next summer, with game time not guaranteed on Merseyside.

Schneider has further fuelled talk of an Everton exit for the full-back, after he admitted that he would like Kenny to remain in Germany beyond the current campaign.

Talking to Bild, as reported by Inside Futbol, Schneider said:

We are happy that we have him [Kenny].

Not only as a player but as a person of a type that suits Schalke.

I hope we will have the chance to keep him longer.

While Schalke do not have an option-to-buy clause in Kenny’s contract, Everton could be left with a difficult decision to make should Kenny push for an exit next summer, with Ademola Lookman similarly managing to force a move back to Germany following his loan spell with RB Leipzig.

Read Everton Verdict

Studying Jonjoe Kenny’s immediate future is difficult when you don’t really know where he stands in Marco Silva’s long-term plans.

The right-back has unmistakably gone away and succeeded to far this season, and with Seamus Coleman nearing the end, naturally you can envisage Kenny returning as first choice.

But with Djibril Sidibe also vying for a spot, with Everton possessing an option in his contract, it remains to be seen who would be first choice next season.

If Kenny is playing regular football now, he won’t want to go back to sitting on the bench again, and at his age he deserves regular game time.

Everton will need to assess how they want Kenny to fit into their plans carefully before making a decision on his future.