Rangers need ‘hefty package’ for Ryan Kent January deal as potential return baffles Mark Guidi
Rangers do need a “quality” wide man in January but Ryan Kent has “had his time” at Ibrox and isn’t the answer, according to Mark Guidi.
The journalist reacted on the Go Radio Football Show on 22 November to links from Turkey that the Englishman could be set to return to Ibrox just one window after the leaving the club on a free transfer in the summer, to question why they would want to do the deal.
Guidi claims that the 27-year-old wasn’t good enough last season when he was still a Rangers player and would cost too much to bring back anyway so Philippe Clement should be looking elsewhere.
Guidi said (1m 20s): “I don’t think there’s much in it and you’d have to ask the question, ‘Why would Rangers want to take Ryan Kent back?’
“His last year was pretty much anonymous and it would be a hefty package to bring him back, even for a loan deal, so I think if you’re Philippe Clement you should be looking at different options.
“I do think they need a quality wide player into the building in January, but for me Ryan Kent has had his time at Rangers.”
Forward not back
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if Kent himself was open to a Rangers return after the long-mooted Premier League move didn’t materialise in the summer.
A somewhat surprising switch to the Turkish Super Lig giants has manifested in just 14 appearances in all competitions, with one goal and two assists, but just a single league start three and a half months ago.
But while the Light Blues can certainly be accused of bungling his departure in that he ultimately left for nothing despite regularly being linked with a multimillion pound sale, and didn’t get enough production from him on the pitch to justify it, they would risk compounding that error to spend heavily on bringing him back now.
If he was fully committed to the club and the price was reasonable there might be scope for a return if Clement had specific plans for him because on his day he has proven he can be a standout in the SPFL.
But if it is just a matter of returning to a relationship that had already run its course just because the alternative hasn’t worked out brilliantly for either side it would probably be a mistake.
Nobody can deny Kent’s impact on the club in his time at Ibrox but a return feels more like a step backwards when the manager badly needs to make the steps forward that were expected in the summer as the winger left in the first place, since Michael Beale failed to bring about the advances required.
In other Rangers news, a proven SPFL goal-getter has now opened the door to an Ibrox switch in January.