Ryan Kent Rangers future in further doubt as club refuse to wait amid push to sign Todd Cantwell
Rangers are not resigned to losing Ryan Kent despite Michael Beale pushing to sign Todd Cantwell for his position, according to The Times.
Both the English attackers have contracts that are set to expire in the summer, and while the long-anticipated extension for Kent has still yet to emerge the club are targeting Cantwell as a potential starter.
That reportedly hasn’t ended the prospect of Kent remaining at Ibrox but the Gers won’t “twiddle their thumbs” while they wait on the 26-year-old and have lined up a succession plan in the form of the Canaries player just over one year his junior.
The Times report says: “Rangers pursuing a relatively prominent left-sided attacker raises an obvious question about the likelihood of Ryan Kent staying at Ibrox beyond the end of his current contract which runs out in the summer.
“Rangers have not resigned themselves to losing Kent but Cantwell, if they got him, would not be coming north to be a substitute.”
It went on: “[Cantwell’s] career is at a crossroads: he turns 25 next month and clearly needs to reignite. Rangers are waiting for Kent to make up his mind but they cannot twiddle their thumbs until the summer.
“They have to plan, and they have decided on the personality player they want.”
Decision time
Rangers would no doubt like to have both if the price is right, but a player’s contract doesn’t get this close to expiring without a genuine possibility that they are gone at the end of it.
During the start to the season under Giovanni van Bronckhorst it looked like a foregone conclusion that Kent would leave and the only question was why he hadn’t gone in the summer.
But since Beale arrived and the team has re-awakened the prospect of Kent extending appeared to be back on the table, and with a wonderful goal in the Old Firm draw with Celtic on 2 January it was a timely reminder of what he can offer at his best.
It would be foolhardy for the Light Blues to sit around hoping for the best though, and while Cantwell is far from a done deal all indications are that they are serious about bringing him in.
Whatever it costs to do so might end up making the decision for Kent who is surely on the look out for what other opportunities are on offer even if he has nothing but positive feelings towards the Gers.
Both can commence pre-contract talks with teams on the opposite of the border now so there is likely a strong possibility that they pass each other at the end of the season on free transfers.
But if Kent has designs on remaining at the club under Beale the pursuit of Cantwell is sure to put a fire under him about doing so.
In other Rangers news, one target’s club are willing to listen to offers for a January move.