Everton youngster Jonjoe Kenny has made it clear to Schalke he wants to stay with them next season.
The 23-year-old has been on loan with the Bundesliga side since last summer, having moved n search of the first-team football that wasn’t on offer at Goodison Park.
He’s proven to be a big hit with David Wagner’s side, becoming a key player and firm fan favourite thus far.
They have been keen to extend his stay in Germany, although his current loan deal from Everton does not include a purchase option.
The newspaper reports that he has ‘fallen in love’ with the club and a recent team evening, ‘literally burst out’ about his newfound affection for the.
First, he is said to have ‘raved’ to teammate Weston McKennie about how he feels in the team, then later explained to the club’s bosses he can imagine himself staying in Gelsenkirchen.
The lack of a purchase option remains a ‘problem’ for Schalke, who could ‘hardly afford’ a transfer anyway.
However, Kenny’s confession is seen as as a ‘trump card’ for director Jochen Schneider in any future negotiations with Everton.
They are now likely to push for another deal in the summer, probably an extension of his loan move, confident in the knowledge that Kenny’s wishes may have given them a big advantage.
