According to reports in The Mirror, Newcastle United will try to sign Chelsea loanee Kenedy on a permanent deal at the end of the season, although he could cost the Magpies £15m.

What's the word, then?

Kenedy celebrates scoring for Newcastle United

Well, The Mirror says that Toon boss Rafa Benitez is keen to bring the Brazilian, who earns £25,000-a-week at his parent club according to the Daily Star, to St James' Park on a full-time basis after he has made a huge impression since joining them on loan from the Premier League holders in January.

The Mirror says that the 22-year-old has admitted that he would be open to leaving the Blues for Tyneside permanently after becoming a key player in their survival battle in recent weeks.

The report adds that Chelsea refused to give Newcastle first option to buy the winger in a deal during the previous transfer window, making it unclear whether the west London outfit would be willing to sell him.

How well has Kenedy done for Newcastle?

He has been brilliant.

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The 22-year-old has scored two goals – both in the vital 3-0 win against fellow strugglers Southampton at St James' Park on Saturday in which he was lauded by the fans – and provided a further assist in six Premier League outings for them so far, also bringing some much-needed quality in possession and more pace on the left-hand side.

Will Chelsea be willing to sell him?

It's difficult to say.

If he carries on making as much of an impression as he currently is right now they could be tempted to let him compete with Marcos Alonso for the left wing-back spot in the first team next season, perhaps with a bit of extra work on his defensive play.

That said, the Blues have shown that they aren't afraid to move some of their younger players on if they aren't playing regularly, and Newcastle would be the frontrunners for the Brazilian if they did decide they were ready to let him go.

While £15m is a lot of money for the Magpies, if they stay up it would be a no-brainer to pay that much for a player who has been so influential in their recent good run of form, and can help them build and improve in the future.