Why Rangers should prioritise a new deal for Ryan Kent

According to Football Insider (h/t Daily Star), Rangers are planning to open talks with star winger Ryan Kent over an improved contract after successfully fending off interest from Premier League newcomers Leeds United. 

The 23-year-old had been the subject of a £10million bid from Marcelo Bielsa’s side during the summer window but Rangers turned down that offer and pointed to the attacker’s £20million release clause instead. (h/t Daily Star)

Kent still has three years left on the four-year £20,000-a-week deal that he signed while completing a permanent move to Rangers from Liverpool in the summer of 2019, but the Gers are keen to offer him fresh terms to ensure that Leeds do not come back with a second offer in January. 

Profile

Ryan Kent rose through the youth ranks of Liverpool but he made only a single competitive appearance for the Reds, spending time on loan at Coventry City, Bristol City, and Barnsley in the Football League, as well as Freiburg in Germany and Rangers in Scotland.

The diminutive winger amassed an impressive 6 goals and 9 assists while on loan at Ibrox during the 2018-19 campaign. That prompted Steven Gerrard to fork out a handsome £6million to sign the 23-year-old permanently last summer, with Kent becoming Rangers’ second-most expensive signing ever. 

The former England U-20 international bagged 8 goals and 4 assists for the Gers in the previous campaign, playing a key role as Gerrard’s side finished runners-up to Celtic in the Scottish Premiership and made it all the way through the last-16 of the Europa League.

Kent has made a stunning start to the 2020-21 season as well, registering 5 goals and 5 assists in 11 appearances across all competitions. 

Kent deserves a new deal at the earliest

Ryan Kent has established himself as an indispensable cog in Rangers’ attack over the past two seasons. He is currently one of the club’s most prized attacking assets alongside the likes of Ianis Hagi, Kemar Roofe and Alfredo Morelos. 

The Oldham-born winger struggled to make a big impact in English football due to lack of opportunities but has really come to the fore since moving to Rangers, with Gerrard showing a lot of trust in his abilities. 

As per the report, Kent is willing to stay put at Ibrox as a mark of his loyalty to the club and the manager, so it’s now up to the Gers to reward his progress with a new deal. His importance to Rangers’ attack certainly can’t be expressed in words and putting a fresh contract on the table would perhaps be the best way to reflect that. 

Read more

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• Why Rangers should continue their pursuit of Patrik Hrosovsky

Verdict

Make no mistake, keeping hold of Ryan Kent was arguably Rangers’ best bit of business in the summer window and they should now follow it up with a new deal for their star winger at the earliest. Having established himself as one of the best attacking players in Scotland, the 23-year-old is only going to get better with time and remains pivotal to the club’s long-term plans moving forward under Gerrard.