Rangers dodge bullet as Ryan Kent’s Turkey dream becomes nightmare
Rangers have dodged a bullet by departing with former star Ryan Kent as his woes in Turkey continue.
As reported by FootballScotland (29 September), the Englishman has struggled with Fenerbahce in the Turkish Super Lig, managing just one start in the league since joining as a free agent this summer.
Per Transfermarkt, the 26-year-old has managed just 281 minutes of first-team football in Turkey this season. Expectations were high when Kent made the move to the Turkish giants and they grew even higher after he netted just 14 minutes into his debut in a Europa Conference League qualifier against Moldovan outfit Zimbru Chisinau.
Since then, Kent has struggled to make a case for regular starting spots. Rangers will likely be pleased that they did not decide to renew his contract this summer after his four-year deal expired.
The Ibrox faithful have had their fair share of criticism for the new recruits that Michael Beale brought in over the summer. While they have not hit the ground running at all in the opening weeks of the season, a recent uptick in form would suggest that the tide may be turning in Glasgow.
The same can’t be said of Kent’s situation in Istanbul. While, of course, it can be tough for a foreign player to adapt to a new league, new environment and new lifestyle when they take the leap into a new challenge, Kent will be frustrated with how his time has begun.
In terms of playtime in the Super Lig, Kent has managed just 1.1 90s, per FBRef, which places him 17th in the squad for game time.
With FootballScotland’s report claiming that Kent had been assured game time by Fenerbahce boss Ismail Kartal, something must have gone wrong since then to see the former Liverpool man fall out of favour.
It’s never a nice thing to see a player depart and struggle in their new journey, but Gers fans may be breathing a sigh of relief that Kent is not contributing to Rangers’ struggles.
In other Rangers news, David Martindale has claimed that “three or four” Gers players could not believe the controversy against Livingston.