Rangers finally put an end to the Ryan Kent will he, won’t he saga by signing a four-year deal, which will cost the Ibrox club around £7million as he finally arrived from Liverpool on deadline day, according to various reports.
What’s the story?
Kent, who had offers from Leeds and Club Brugge, in the window spent last season on loan at Ibrox. He quickly became a fan favourite and gave the team an attacking dimension they had lacked before his arrival on loan from Liverpool. The 22-year-old managed six goals and nine assists during that loan spell and it’s fair to say he’s glad that the transfer is over the line.
Speaking to Rangers TV, he said: “I am delighted to be back here, it has been quite a long summer, a lot of things could have potentially happened but I am delighted to be here.
“I never lost hope, there were probably moments when I thought it might not happen but I guess good things come to those who wait.”
What does Kent give to Rangers and where does he fit in?
Firstly, Kent’s signing will give Rangers a lift, following their 2-0 defeat against Celtic on Sunday. After a good start to the season, that result has raised questions over Steven Gerrard’s team selection. Kent will give Rangers something different; a big-game mentality and someone who enjoys creating and running at defences, but unlike the other wide players, he has that creative edge to his game. If you look at Jordan Jones’ stats from last season compared to Kent’s it tells the story. Jones only managed four goals and four assists in 35 appearances for Kilmarnock, two fewer goals and five fewer assists.
With Rangers making Kent their second most expensive signing after Tore Andre Flo, it’s clear he’s at Ibrox to play week in, week out. This signing may give Gerrard a headache formation-wise.
He’s been using the 4-3-2-1 in most matches, with Scott Arfield as one of the two behind the striker. However, this will and could give him scope to play with two wingers and Arfield or Joe Aribo behind either Alfredo Morelos or Jermain Defoe going forward. In short, the signing gives Rangers more quality and options to their pool of players and it shows the intent of the club as they look to get back to winning trophies.