The transfer saga involving Rangers and Liverpool winger Ryan Kent was always threatening to rumble on all summer.
Still a Liverpool player, there was talk of the Anfield club demanding up to £12m for Kent’s services [Liverpool Echo]. The mouthwatering price tag all but drops Rangers out of the running.
Nonetheless, the club was said to be “close” to securing Kent on another year-long loan [The Scottish Daily Mail (10/6, back page)]. But do Steven Gerrard’s latest comments suggest otherwise?
“But I can assure everyone we are doing everything we can to try and get Ryan back.
“The key thing that people need to understand is that Ryan has got to want this. It’s alright the fans wanting him, the staff wanting him, myself wanting him.
“It’s Ryan’s decision”
“But it’s Ryan’s decision. Ryan has got to want Rangers, he has got to want to come and be successful at Rangers. That is the question Ryan has got to ask himself.
“The reality is that we have to wait for Ryan to make a decision and, more importantly, Liverpool to think Rangers is the right place to continue his development.”
This doesn’t sound like a player who has reportedly told Liverpool his favoured destination next season is Ibrox [Daily Record].
It sounds like someone who is weighing up his options going into the new campaign.
Liverpool too are big players in this and are obviously keeping their cards close to their chest as the European Champions prepare for next season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiIMstJ5Jyc
The main thing we can take away from the comments appear to be this:
Firstly, that the deal isn’t anywhere near the conclusion that some press outlets have claimed – at least according to Gerrard.
And secondly, the Liverpool winger himself remains unsure if he wants to play at Ibrox next season.