Earlier this month, Malmo appeared to bring a premature end to Filip Helander’s hopes of a return to the Swedish giants, bringing in another experienced centre-half in the shape of Brentford’s Pontus Jansson.
Is another out-of-contract Rangers player about to suffer the same fate?
According to the Daily Mail, Vincent Kompany’s Burnley – newly-promoted, Premier League-bound Burnley – have ‘declared their interest’ in one Ryan Kent.
The £7 million signing from Liverpool looks set to leave Ibrox on a free transfer on July 1st. Kompany, meanwhile, has an excellent track record when it comes to coaxing consistency out of mercurial widemen. It’s fitting that it was Manuel Benson – the outstanding signing from Royal Antwerp – who secured the Championship title at the home of Burnley’s arch rivals Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday night.
Will Ryan Kent miss out on chance to swap Rangers for Burnley?
Now, whether Burnley see Luka Ivanusec as someone capable of arriving alongside Kent – or instead of him – is anyone’s guess.
The Croatia international is an attacking midfielder by trade. But he’s made more appearances on the left-wing than he has through the middle for runaway league leaders Dinamo Zagreb across 2022/23; the majority of his nine goals coming from a wider position.
According to Sportske Novosti, Burnley are ‘preparing’ a £10 million bid. Ivanusec is Kompany’s ‘great desire’, and the report believes that an agreement could be reached early in the summer window.
What this means for Kent’s hopes of a big break south of the border, only time will tell.
“It actually looks a good fit (for Kent),” former Rangers striker Kenny Miller tells the Daily Record.
“I got to see Burnley first-hand under Kompany recently when I was at Huddersfield as assistant manager. He’s got the Clarets playing ‘total football’, which matches up with the style Kent plays in.
“Listen, going to Burnley will appeal to Kent. Purely and simply because it’s the Premier League. And they’ve been sensational under Kompany.
“If Kent craves a Premier League move, this is his best opportunity at the optimum point in his career.”
The ‘best opportunity’ maybe. But one that, with Ivanusec reportedly emerging as one of Kompany’s top priorities, could be in danger of slipping through his fingers.
