According to the latest reports from the Mirror, Liverpool’s manager Jurgen Klopp has blocked another loan move for Rangers target Ryan Kent. This is in contrast to the stories which came out just a few hours earlier from the Daily Record which mentioned that the Bears could get their man as early as next week.
Reports from the Mirror mentions that Klopp is said to be holding on to Kent and the academy product is going to be involved in the preseason camp in the United States. The primary reason for that is Liverpool’s front three; who have all been busy with their national team commitments, and they are going to join the squad late.
Kent: A cult hero at Rangers
The 22-year-old winger has never managed to establish himself at Liverpool and has had various loan spells in the last few years. However, he found his real success at Rangers last season where he even managed to win Rangers’ young player of the season award. The winger started off slow at Ibrox, but once he settled in, the Liverpool man was breathtaking in some of his performances.
His ability to show up on big occasions, particularly against Celtic is what made him a fan favourite at the club. That is often the fixture which makes or break a Celtic or Rangers player, and Kent showed that he has the nerve to perform when the pressure is at the highest. His little jab at Scott Brown also went a long way in making him a cult hero.
What now for Gerrard?
Steven Gerrard would be hoping that his connections with Liverpool will pay rich dividends here. He had also previously urged Kent to make noise with Liverpool about wanting a move to Rangers. The club also needs to fight off competition from Leeds United who are also said to be in the race for him.
The fact that the winger settled in so well at Ibrox and he is already a fan favourite here makes us feel that Rangers will have an edge in terms of getting his signature. It seems unlikely that the Englishman would be able to find any sort of regular game time at the Merseyside club next season so Gerrard should still be hopeful.
However, with the latest update, things are likely to go down to the wire in this transfer window and Rangers fans can probably blame the timing of Copa America and the African Cup of Nations for this delay regarding the decision on Kent’s future.
