Jonjoe Kenny is 99% likely to return to Everton when his loan spell at Schalke comes to an end.
The right-back joined the Bundesliga side on loan in the summer as he looked to get first-team football away from Goodison Park.
That is something he has found in abundance, becoming a regular under David Wagner and impressing with a series of impressive performances.
Both he and Schalke are keen for him to extend his stay in Germany and have made that clear, but his loan deal does not include a clause for an extension or an option to make it permanent.
It has been mooted that Everton would sanction a second loan spell should they take up their option to sign Djibril Sidibé permanently this summer.
However, according to Sky Sports Germany, that is looking increasingly unlikely to happen with there now a 99% chance that Kenny will return to Merseyside this summer.
They say they have “asked” Schalke about Kenny’s situation at the club and been informed that while the German side “would like” to keep him, there is a “99% chance they won’t have him back”.
That’s because the club’s finances “aren’t really good at the moment”, presumably meaning they can neither afford a loan deal or to sign Kenny permanently.
While there is a slim chance he could stay and “the last back door” is yet to be closed, as far as everyone is concerned Kenny will be returning to Everton come the summer transfer window.
Whether he will stay there permanently will then be up for debate. Everton are in need of a right-back but should Sidibé stay, that would place Kenny behind both him and Seamus Coleman.
The more likely situation is that he heads out on loan once again, with there likely to be plenty of suitors after his performances this season.
