Ryan Kent has established himself as a key player for Rangers (Getty Images)
According to the Daily Record, Liverpool star Ryan Kent has been linked with a move to Leeds United in the summer transfer window, with reports claiming that Whites Director of Football Victor Orta is a long-term admirer of the 22-year-old.
Kent is currently back at Anfield following a wonderful loan spell at Rangers this past season and Daily Record claims that Steven Gerrard is keen to bring the winger back to Ibrox on a second consecutive loan agreement, having been priced out of a permanent deal earlier in the year.
Rangers have lined up another Liverpool starlet Sheyi Ojo as a potential replacement for Kent if they do not manage to bring him back but Gerrard’s strong connections to Anfield is expected to give the Gers the upper hand in this deal. (h/t Daily Record)
Kent, however, has kept the door open to a move to Elland Road this summer, although he is currently in complete darkness over his next destination.
The 22-year-old might get a chance to prove his credentials in the Premier League next season, with newly-promoted outfit Aston Villa prepared to offer him an escape route, but a move to Leeds or Rangers looks more likely to materialize. (h/t Daily Record)
The 22-year-old earned plenty of plaudits for his performances on loan at Ibrox this past season, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award and establishing himself as a firm fan favourite at Rangers.
Kent played a key role for Gerrard’s side, contributing with 6 goals and 9 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions, as the Gers finished runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership.
Despite his fine performances on loan north of the border, Kent’s chances of breaking into the first-team at Anfield look relatively slim at the moment, given the presence of stalwarts like Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino in Liverpool’s ranks.
The former England youth international has shown strong signs of promise and settling down at a particular club should work wonders for his development, considering that he has already had loan spells at five different clubs. Kent is a really talented player and Leeds United’s links with the Liverpool man should bring a big smile on the faces of the fans at Elland Road.
To put things into perspective, Leeds need to freshen up things with some new arrivals this summer after their pursuit of promotion ended with a defeat at the hands of Derby County in the Playoff semi-finals. The Whites missed a golden opportunity to end their long exile from the top-flight but the sleeping Yorkshire giants need to put all the disappointment behind them and start right from the beginning once again.
Marcelo Bielsa is expected to be in charge for at least another season and the Argentine should be well aware of the lack of depth in his attacking ranks. Loanees Izzy Brown and Jack Harrison have returned to their parent clubs Chelsea and Man City respectively, whilst the future of Samu Saiz still remains up in the air following his lacklustre loan spell at Getafe in the La Liga.
Kemar Roofe topped the scoring charts at Elland Road last term with 15 goals in the Championship but that apparently wasn’t enough to propel the Whites to a promotion-winning campaign. An out-and-out No.9 needs to be high on Bielsa’s recruitment list for the summer but Leeds also need to bring in some quality wide players to reduce over-dependancy on veteran Pablo Hernandez and Mateusz Klich.
Ryan Kent, with his versatility to play out wide on either flank certainly fits the bill at Elland Road. The 22-year-old racked up quite a few goals and assists at Rangers last season and Leeds could well be on their way to the Premier League next term should he manage to replicate his scintillating run of form.
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Kent’s arrival should add a lot more depth and quality to Leeds’ attacking ranks and provide the West Yorkshire outfit with that much-needed firepower up front, as the Whites look to go one step further next season in pursuit of a much-awaited promotion.