Schalke have confirmed that they will not hold discussions with Everton over Jonjoe Kenny until the end of the season, as reported by Sky Sports News.
Mail Online reported earlier this month that the Bundesliga club were lining up a permanent offer to sign the 22-year old before the end of the transfer window, with Kenny having impressed on loan this season.
The full-back has been a mainstay under manager David Wagner in Gelsenkirchen since completing his season-long switch in the summer, and Schalke haven’t hidden their desire to keep Kenny in Germany beyond the current season (Inside Futbol).
However, Sky Sports News report on their Transfer Centre Live Blog (10:30) that they plan on “fully respecting what has been agreed with Everton” by waiting until the end of the campaign to discuss the defender’s long-term future.
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Kenny has played 19 times in the Bundesliga for Schalke this season, starting on every occasion (Transfermarkt), and Schalke boss Wagner has been full of praise for the defender who he has described as having done an “amazing job” (iNews).
Everton currently have Seamus Coleman and Djibril Sidibe as their rotating right-back options, and should the Toffees elect to take up their permanent option in Sidibe’s contract, the club could have three senior right-backs at their disposal in the summer once Kenny returns.
It will be a crucial time for Kenny to decide what he wants for his career, and for Everton to assess whether the 22-year old is ready to start regularly in the Premier League. It isn’t clear whether that will be the case, whether Everton will want to rotate Kenny with Sidibe or whether they’ll look to cash in on Kenny’s success this season.
However, we know now that at the very least, Everton will have four months to make their decision.
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