According to reports, the latest side to show interest in Liverpool’s young sensation Ryan Kent is Championship side Middlesbrough. New manager Garry Monk has been a man on a mission following his taking charge at the Riverside, and Kent’s brilliant displays in the preseason tour have caught his attention.
Though reports had earlier linked the club with Liverpool’s Sheyi Ojo, failure to land him has forced Monk to shift his attention towards the 20-year-old. Following a productive season in the Championship last term with Barnsley, Kent is a familiar face in the second-tier and could be thrown right into the mix from day one.
Boro has brought in heavy reinforcements this summer following their horrific season in the top flight. They have brought in seven new players to fight their way back up to the top tier once again and Monk seems to bank highly on his attacking talents.
Despite having the likes of Rudy Gestede, Adama Traore and Gaston Ramirez, Monk went ahead to get in Martin Braithwaite from Ligue 1 side Toulouse, Fletcher from West Ham United and Britt Assombalonga from Nottingham Forest to bolster up front. And now the pursuit of Kent would surely make them one of the biggest attacking threats in the Championship.
They visit Molineux this Saturday to face an evenly reinforced Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are also considered as one of the favourites to win the title this season. Following his adventurous season with Leeds United last term, Monk would expect to make the cut this time with Boro and having Kent could go a long way in helping him achieve it.
The English winger has shown flashes of brilliance for Liverpool on their pre-season tour and manager Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants the player to stay and would only be willing to part with him on a temporary basis.
Naturally a left winger, the Oldham-born can play on the opposite flank as well as through the centre. His dribbling abilities, which was evident on Liverpool’s pre-season tour, had been extremely effective for Barnsley last season. Kent’s speed on the ball and clever movements can definitely be an effective weapon for Monk.
Though at 172cm, he won’t be a threat in aerial duels, his tenacity and relative immunity to injuries are expected to take him a long way. He managed to play 47 times for Barnsley last season scoring three goals and three assists. Since breaking into Liverpool’s first team back in 2014, he has been spending time mostly on loan.
He has been to Barnsley and Coventry City in the last two seasons and with the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana before him in the pecking order, things are not expected to change.
