Rangers have rejected a second bid from Premier League West Ham United for Ibrox talent Kai Kennedy, according to a leading journalist.
Pete O’Rourke is claiming that not only have the Gers rejected the advances of West Ham for a second time but also that they’ve recalled the player to first-team training.
Kennedy, 19, signed a new deal with Rangers last season which ties him to the club until 2023 amid much talk of an exit from the Ibrox.
Spending the first half of the campaign on loan at Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Kennedy impressed in John Robertson’s side before doing the same with Raith Rovers in the second half of last season.
Heading into this season all the talk has been of another loan move as he vies for minutes but the interest from West Ham has set the cat amongst the pigeons.
The Daily Record claimed that West Ham, Norwich City and an unnamed Ligue 1 club had all expressed an interest in the player and seen bids rejected.
However whilst West Ham’s bid was said to be £600k [Daily Mail], Norwich’s interest has been rubbished by fan media Pink Un.
The Athletic would then claim that a loan spell with Championship Dunfermline remains Kennedy’s most likely move next season, regardless of where his long-term future lies.
This is despite the fact quotes pertaining to be from Kennedy himself appeared on Football Insider claiming he was “flattered” by the interest.
“It is extremely flattering that West Ham have made an offer for me and it would be a great opportunity to be able to work with a top manager such as David Moyes, but I am a Rangers player until I am told otherwise,” said Kennedy [Football Insider].
Kennedy has not always seen eye to eye with the Rangers hierarchy even if he remains one of the club’s most highly-rated young talents.
Back in 2020 Rangers boss Steven Gerrard lambasted “ego” in the club’s Academy and urged those who wanted an opportunity at Ibrox to “commit” to the club [RangersTV].
Rangers fans were convinced that these comments directly related to Kennedy, who had been extensively linked with Manchester City, AS Roma and Bayern Munich previously.