Everton showing little interest in keeping ‘quality’ star Frank Lampard loves
Everton have shown little sign of wanting to offer Jonjoe Kenny a new contract and avoid the defender leaving in a free transfer, per The Athletic.
Kenny has less than four-months remaining on his current terms at Goodison Park after facing an uncertain future for years. The Blues have welcomed approaches for the right-back in past windows, having never been first-choice.
Seamus Coleman has continually kept Kenny from the side, while successive managers have also sought to sign his long-term successor. Rafa Benitez was ultimately the one to get a deal over the line with £16m Nathan Patterson.
Neither Marco Silva, Carlo Ancelotti nor Benitez ever felt Kenny would be Everton’s future first-choice right-back. The 24-year-old enjoyed his most Premier League appearances in a single season so far in 2017/18 with 19.
Yet Kenny only enjoyed a consistent run in Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce’s squads following Coleman’s double leg break. While under Ancelotti last year, Everton would have sold Kenny to Burnley for £10m, per the Mirror.
Everton show little interest in new Kenny contract amid Lampard’s praise
Kenny is currently enjoying something of a revival at Everton after Frank Lampard replaced Benitez. The Toffees product has made three of his seven Premier League outings so far this season since the England icon’s arrival.
Yet Lampard deployed Kenny exclusively as a makeshift left-back over the Blues’ last three games. But his impressive displays in the role against Leeds, Southampton and Manchester City, plus in training, drew his manager’s praise.
“I love Jonjoe’s attitude in training every day,” Lampard told EvertonTV. “He loves Everton and always wants to train and do better. Any session and any drill you do, he wants to give everything.
“And he is a quality player, [good with] both feet and technically very good for a defender… Jonjoe is perfect for any game – but especially when we needed discipline and effort and toughness, and he showed those.”
Yet Everton have so far shown little interest in locking Kenny down with a new contract and avoiding a free transfer away when his deal expires in June. But impressing under Lampard in the coming months could force a U-turn.
