Rangers fans will be nervously chewing their fingernails surrounding Ryan Kent amid reports Barcelona are set to nab Leeds United winger Raphinha.
The 25-year-old Brazilian attacker is reportedly hot property at the moment and his performances in the Premier League have justified the £17m spent to bring him from Rennes in 2020.
Now, according to Sport in Spain, personal terms have been agreed between Raphinha and Barcelona, leaving only the transfer fee at the centre of negotiations.
And that’s exactly where things get interesting amid claims that Jesse Marsch’s side rejected a €35m (£29m) Barcelona offer for the attacker with Leeds holding out for £50m.
Barcelona are hoping that the Elland Road club are tempted by a possible part player exchange with Raphinha seemingly edging closer to the Leeds exit door regardless.
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What does this have to do with Rangers? Well, it’s quite simple; Ryan Kent.
Could Leeds move for Rangers’ Ryan Kent if Barcelona sign Raphinha?
Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta is well aware of the tricky Rangers winger having previously tabled up to two bids for the player, with at least one confirmed by the club.
This is said to have been in the region of £10m [BBC Sport] but now the future of Ryan Kent is about to get interesting.
Having impressed on the European stage this season – and taken a few hamstrings into the bargain – the Rangers star is heading into the final year of his contract this summer.
This has led to plenty of speculation surrounding the ex-Liverpool talent – who joined Rangers on a £7m deal in 2019 [Times] – who will likely move on if Rangers don’t sign him up.
To add fuel to the fire, Leeds United have once again been mentioned alongside Ryan Kent this week as Football Insider made mention of an apparent £20m release clause in the winger’s contract.
Something tells us Rangers won’t be in a position to command that much but the club should still make a tidy profit if Kent’s exit comes to fruition this summer.
If Barcelona pounce on a deal for Raphinha in the coming months, it also frees up cash for Leeds to invest elsewhere with Ryan Kent – albeit a left-sided attacker – a suitable investment in that area of the pitch for the Premier League side.
Not that Rangers want the winger to go anywhere – reports suggest he could be offered a new five-year contract with the Ibrox club.