Although Newcastle United's summer transfer window was largely deemed disappointing, one piece of business did excite supporters.

When the Magpies belatedly confirmed that Kenedy would be re-joining on a season-long loan deal in July, his return was celebrated by supporters, pundits and journalists alike following his impressive performances during the second half of the 2017/18 campaign.

Yet the 22-year-old's impact this season has been negligible in comparison; he has provided just one goal and a solitary assist, and has not started a Premier League match in six weeks.

With Miguel Almiron and Antonio Barreca - both of whom can play down the left flank - having arrived on deadline day, Kenedy's chances of regaining his place in Rafa Benitez's XI have lengthened, too.

So what has happened to the Brazilian? Why has he seemingly fallen out of favour at St James' Park? How will Almiron and Barreca's arrivals impact upon Kenedy? And does the 22-year-old have any hope of securing a permanent deal at Newcastle?

Here, NUFC Writer Chris Waugh explains the background behind Kenedy's loss in form, and what the second half of the season may hold for the Brazilian...

A hero's return is accompanied by a warning from Rafa

The two goals and two assists Kenedy provided in 13 Premier League appearances for Newcastle from January through until May 2018 do not necessarily do justice to how important a figure he was in the Magpies' revival during the second half of last season.

Kenedy helped transform the way United played; he brought pace, ingenuity, and a confidence in possession that bolstered the self-belief of those around him.

That is why many - including yours truly - advocated Kenedy returning to Tyneside, be it on a permanent deal or via another loan spell.

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With Chelsea holding out for a £30million fee for the Brazilian, however, Newcastle were never going to cede to such demands. Instead, once new Blues head coach Maurizio Sarri confirmed that Kenedy was not in his first-team plans, United were able to negotiate a season-long loan for the winger.

When the deal was announced in early-July, Newcastle fans were understandably excited. Benitez, though, tempered expectation by delivering a warning to Kenedy.

In Benitez's opinion, the winger did not provide enough goals or assists during his first six months on Tyneside; and, given that there was no longer anything unpredictable about what Kenedy would bring to the United side, the Brazilian needed to raise his levels further if he was going to continue to be as effective as before.

A nightmare afternoon in Cardiff - and the distraction of personal problems

From the moment Kenedy had returned to the North East, whispers began circulating that something had changed as far as his demeanour was concerned.

Soon it became clear that living away from his new daughter and her mother was affecting the Brazilian, and Benitez offered to allow Kenedy flexible training days to ensure he could travel to London whenever possible.

But personal problems were not the only issue; the hunger which had been visible in Kenedy's performances the previous season no longer appeared evident either.

Whether this mental shift was subconscious or not is a moot point; it was having a negative impact on his performances, and it became obvious even by mid-August that Newcastle had not been reunited with the same player who had they had parted on excellent terms with just three months previously.

Newcastle United's Kenedy rues his last gasp penalty miss
Newcastle United's Kenedy rues his last-gasp penalty miss against Cardiff City

The game which brought Kenedy's problems to the surface, and which has characterised his season as a whole so far, came just two fixtures into the campaign.

A woeful 90-minute display at the Cardiff City Stadium - during which Kenedy was fortunate to escape a red card for brainlessly kicking out at midfielder Victor Camarasa - was typified by a dreadful penalty miss during injury-time.

That spot-kick cost the Magpies two points in a crucial relegation clash; and, as Newcastle's winless run eventually extended to 10 matches, Kenedy's penalty miss was brought into sharper and sharper focus.

A goal and a wonderful assist suggest a change in fortunes

There have been fleeting glimpses of Kenedy's undoubted talent this season; yet they have proven to be false dawns.

At Old Trafford, the Brazilian was given a free role, and he terrorised a nervous Manchester United defence during the first half.

The pace, composure and ruthlessness he showed when curling Newcastle ahead inside the opening few minutes suggested Kenedy had rediscovered his best form.

An encouraging performance during the 2-1 victory over AFC Bournemouth also arrived a month later, when the winger curled a delicious cross into the area for Salomon Rondon to power in an unstoppable header.

Yet that was the latest occasion when Kenedy really positively affected the outcome of a Newcastle match - and his gametime has diminished since.

Kenedy of Newcastle United scores his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Newcastle United at Old Trafford
Newcastle United's Kenedy curls in the Magpies' opening goal at Old Trafford against Manchester United

Rumours abound that Kenedy's loan will be terminated early

The perception that Kenedy was lacking focus was bolstered by his unsatisfactory contributions against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Huddersfield Town in December.

Having only arrived on the pitch in the 89th minute, Kenedy - who was brought on in order to provide fresh legs - simply failed to track Wolves' Matt Doherty as the right-wing-back ghosted into the area to score an injury-time winner for the visitors at St James' Park.

The following weekend, Kenedy - deployed as a left-wing-back - was atrocious against Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium; Newcastle triumphed 1-0 in a dire affair, but the Brazilian looked devoid of both confidence and direction in West Yorkshire.

Rumours abounded in the days that followed that United had explored the possibility of terminating his temporary move from Chelsea early in order to free up one of their two domestic loan slots.

Benitez failed to offer a definitive answer on the subject when he was asked about it in mid-December, and it seems alternative domestic loan options were briefly explored, before the Newcastle manager determined that Kenedy could still contribute to the Magpies' fight against relegation.

But Kenedy has not been named in a Newcastle Premier League XI in 2019; his last start came at Anfield on Boxing Day, and he has played just 31 minutes in the league so far this calendar year.

Kenedy of Newcastle United is challenged by Florent Hadergjonaj of Huddersfield Town during the Premier League match between Huddersfield Town and Newcastle United
Newcastle United's Kenedy struggled against Huddersfield Town in December

January signings push Kenedy even further down the pecking order

Christian Atsu and Ayoze Perez have been preferred to Kenedy in attacking positions in recent weeks, while Matt Ritchie has been deployed as a left-wing-back, even though Benitez stressed last year that the Brazilian could play in such a role.

And, while Jacob Murphy has departed to West Bromwich Albion on loan for the second half of the season, Newcastle's incoming January business appears to have pushed Kenedy even further down the pecking order.

Almiron can play anywhere across the frontline, including as a left-winger, while Barreca is comfortable operating anywhere down the left flank - placing them both in direct competition with Kenedy for a starting place.

What's more, if Barreca does operate as a left-wing-back, that will free up Ritchie to return to a more-attacking role; again potentially at the expense of Kenedy.

With Yoshinori Muto having also returned from the Asian Cup, Benitez's attacking options have increased immeasurably since the transfer window closed last week.

An uncertain future awaits - be it on Tyneside or beyond

Privately, Benitez hopes that the increased competition will force Kenedy to raise his level; it must be evident to the Brazilian now that, unless he starts consistently providing a creative spark to the United side, he simply will not play.

The Newcastle manager has maintained over the course of the past six weeks that the 22-year-old's personal problems are no longer as prevalent, and that he is confident Kenedy will prove himself once again.

Perhaps the arrival of a high-profile attacking player in Almiron will help rekindle the desire which has been sorely missing from Kenedy's game this season; if the Brazilian still wants to be considered as the most-talented Magpie within the ranks, then he has to start performing on the pitch.

As things stand, however, it appears unlikely that Kenedy would feature in Benitez's strongest Newcastle XI, which is quite astonishing considering that he was arguably one of the first names on the teamsheet back when the season began.

With just 18 months remaining on his Chelsea contract, too, the final 13 games of the Premier League season will prove crucial for his future prospects.

It appears highly unlikely that Newcastle will pursue a permanent deal for Kenedy this summer; his form would need to drastically improve, while Chelsea would have to significantly lower the demands they made last year, for United to even consider such a transfer.

But, if Kenedy wants to earn an enticing move elsewhere this summer given that his Chelsea career appears over, then it is in his own interest to start contributing to the United cause.

Kenedy's fall from grace has been as rapid as it has been regrettable. Such enormous expectations greeted his second coming but, unless his form improves dramatically, this his return will go down as one of the worst reunions in Newcastle's history.