The 20-year-old is out of contract and Carlton have emerged as a clear front-runner to secure his services.

Greater Western Sydney (GWS) confirmed on Thursday night that Kennedy has notified the club he will ‘explore trade opportunities’ and his manager David Trotter confirmed there is a lot of interest in the Giants midfielder.

“Matt’s got a few options to work through between now and the trade period,” Trotter said.

Carlton, Brisbane Lions, Essendon and Hawthorn are all believed to have shown interest in Kennedy.

He told The Daily Advertiser mid-year that he was keen to stay at the Giants, alongside good mate Harry Perryman, but GWS have since re-signed fellow midfielders Josh Kelly, Lachie Whitfield and Jacob Hopper.

Those signatures have left little room in the Giants’ salary cap for Kennedy, while the lure of more midfield opportunities at another club is believed to also appeal to the young gun.

Kennedy arrived in Melbourne on Thursday and underwent shoulder surgery on Friday.

He is expected to make a formal decision on his playing future in the coming days with the AFL Trade Period officially getting underway on Monday week.

Kennedy played 16 AFL games for the Giants this season and averaged 17 disposals a game.

Kennedy was drafted to GWS with selection 13, via the Giants Academy, in the 2015 draft and managed 19 AFL games during his two seasons at the club.