Rangers transfer news: Favourites emerge to sign exit-bound Kai Kennedy amid interest from three countries
Croatian side Osijek have emerged as the favourites to sign “highly-rated” Rangers youngster Kai Kennedy upon his exit from Ibrox, Football Scotland reports.
The 21-year-old has only made one senior appearance for the Light Blues back in the 2019/20 season and has spent the current campaign on loan at Falkirk.
Despite being considered a talent at Ibrox he will leave this summer upon the expiry of his contract, along with a host of his senior teammates.
Although he has bounced across five loan moves in the previous three seasons, spending time with Inverness Caley Thistle, Raith Rovers, Dunfermline Athletic and Hamilton Accies across the second and third tier in Scotland there is reportedly a market developing for him this summer.
Osijek are “keen” to land him, which would give him a chance to play Europa Conference League football, but the are two unnamed Scottish teams also interested as well as potential offers from England.
All the best
He will be overshadowed as he leaves because of the likes of Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and Scott Arfield heading out at the same time, but after numerous loans he could surely use a new permanent home.
It is another Rangers youngster who there were high early hopes for but who will continue his career elsewhere, with questions over the pathway from academy to first team.
The likes of Leon King, Alex Lowry and, belatedly, Robby McCrorie have been involved but none are as yet key men for Michael Beale.
That will need to change in the longer term if the manager is to not need to rely so heavily on a transfer market when he doesn’t necessarily have the funding to operate at his desired level.
Kennedy has had a successful season on a personal level with Falkirk, featuring 38 times in total while scoring and assisting 11 and 10 times respectively, even if it ended in defeat in both the Scottish Cup and Championship play-off semi finals.
At his age he wouldn’t want to languish in the reserves after sustained first-team action, even if it is at a lower level, so if he ends up at Osijek and is playing in Europe next season it should be a good move for him.
In other Rangers news, a BBC pundit has shared his “concerns” over yet another possible Ibrox exit, this time for a player with years still to run on his contract.