Rangers Ryan KentRyan Kent left Rangers originally in 2023
Ryan Kent return to split Rangers fans as training invitation mooted after release
Rangers fans will be split by the potential return of Ryan Kent and the majority won’t be in favour, says Tam McManus.
The pundit told PLZ Soccer on 18 October that the winger is an upgrade on the current Ibrox options under Philippe Clement, but after the 27-year-old’s form fizzled out on the way to his free transfer exit in 2023 plenty of supporters won’t want him back.
Kent is available after being released by Fenerbahce and McManus suggested an invitation for him to come in and train would be a suitable step, while Alan Rough claimed he would fit in as a bargain pick up when the Gers’ transfer budget is tight.
McManus said (17m 50s): “I think there’d be a split. Initially he had a fantastic spell at Rangers, scoring big goals against Celtic, a couple at Parkhead. The last season he was at Rangers he was really, really poor. He looked as if his head was elsewhere and I think a lot of fans turned on him because I don’t think he was putting in the performances and the effort that he was previously.
“A lot of fans will think, ‘He’s better than what we’ve got’, which I think is correct, and then a lot of fans will think, ‘Nah, don’t take him back. We’ve seen him in the last year of his contract’…
“There’s no harm in maybe asking him to come in and train, if he’s willing to come in and train and have a look at him and whatever to keep himself ticking over.
“Do I think he’s better than what they’ve got? Probably yes. But I don’t think the majority of the Rangers fans would want him back.”
Alan Rough added: “The good thing for Rangers is it’s not costing them anything. Obviously they’ve got to give him a wage but there’s no money getting thrown about, big money, because every time Clement comes on he keeps talking about the budget he’s got.
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“They’ll have a budget for January and they’ll be looking at players just now to bring them in, and it depends whether Kent comes into that category of better than the players that he’s looking at, and the value that he would get if he got him.”
Oscar Cortes and Rabbi Matondo injured at Rangers
Clearly, even a year ago it wouldn’t have been what Rangers or Kent would have thought of as success for the two to be reunited the following season.
But, aside from a brief period after Clement arrived and won the League Cup last term, neither Rangers or Kent have been a success since they parted two summers ago.
So, with the Belgian experiencing extensive injury issues on the wings with Oscar Cortes suffering one serious problem after another, and Rabbi Matondo hurt straight after putting in one of his best performances to convince the club to keep him at the end of the transfer window, a free agent pick up might be a strong option to rejoin in January.
The manager would need to be convinced that Kent can do a job for him, and the finances obviously have to be right, but it is far from beyond the realms of possibility that a marriage of convenience could benefit both sides.
Whether it would be the right move longer-term is perhaps another matter, but if he re-signed and was successful it might give the club the opportunity to bank a fee for him the second time around, having already squandered the chance once.
In other Rangers news, the Light Blues have been slammed over a “massive mistake” in the transfer window.
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