
Chelsea
have officially completed the signing of Brazilian youngster Kenedy from
Fluminense.
The forward only recently broke into the Brazilian Serie A side's first team
and had been attracting plenty of interest in Europe…
Name: Robert Kenedy Nunes do Nascimiento
Age: 19
Position: Attacking midfielder/forward
Nation: Brazil (Seven caps at U20 level, one goal)
What’s the story?
Chelsea and Manchester United were both reportedly keeping close tabs on
Kenedy, who turned 19 in February, but it's Jose Mourinho who has won the
race for his signature.
The youngster actually played for the Blues in the pre-season friendly
against Barcelona in Washington DC after Fluminense gave him permission to
play, and his switch is now finally complete.
"I am very happy to complete my transfer to Chelsea," he said.
"It is an exciting time for me to join the Premier League champions and I
hope I can become an important player for the club.
"I very much enjoyed my time with the squad during pre-season and I am very
grateful to Fluminense for allowing me this opportunity."
What's his experience?
Kenedy was spotted by Fluminense scouts at a young age, and worked his way
through the youth ranks at a club which has also developed talent such as
Brazil captain Thiago Silva and Rafael and Fabio Da Silva.
He starred for the Brazil U17 side at the 2013 South America Championships,
scoring six goals to finish as his country's top scorer in the tournament.
His performances prompted promotion to the first-team set-up at Fluminense,
with youth director Marcelo Teixeria singing his praises.
"He has always performed well for our youth teams and his progress has
allowed us to put our faith in him," he said in 2013.
In last year's Serie A, Kenedy made 20 appearances, 18 of them as a
substitute, scoring two goals. But in this year's competition the
19-year-old started the first game of the season alongside Brazil striker
Fred and looks like he could be set for a bigger role.
What's his style?
At 16, Kenedy often played on the flanks and drew comparisons with the likes
of Neymar. With quick pace, the left-footer is often deployed on the right
flank with a view to terrorising full-backs and cutting inside.
Now he is a bit older, he has also been compared with Zenit St Petersburg
forward Hulk thanks to his impressive strength, but his pace is his key
attribute, although he has been described as "one-footed" in the past,
meaning his desire to cut inside will be closely guarded.
The likes of Ramires and Willian are known for their hard work at Chelsea,
tracking back constantly and adding extra numbers in defence - something
Mourinho felt Juan Mata didn’t do enough at Stamford Bridge - and Kenedy's
defensive work will undoubtedly need improving if he is to flourish in the
Premier League.
Will he fit straight in?
Chelsea's Brazilian contingent will offer Kenedy an easy transition and help
him settle in at Stamford Bridge, but there are a couple of reasons he’s
unlikely to feature straight away.
The current rules on work permits mean the 19-year-old will not be allowed
to play in the Premier League, so he would have to go out on loan this
season.
The Blues have a partnership with Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem so that could be
a likely destination, while they have also reportedly been in talks over a
similar agreement with Royal Mouscron-Peruwelz in Belgium, where Mourinho
could send non-European players to develop.
Now Kenedy has made the move to Chelsea, it looks like it will be at least a
year or two before he is likely to feature in Mourinho’s plans for the first
team.