West Ham boss David Moyes is pushing to sign Rangers winger Kai Kennedy and a bid in excess of £1m has been tabled, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
Update: Rangers have since confirmed that Kennedy has joined Dunfermline on a season-long loan deal [Rangers.co.uk].
Following much talk of an exit from Ibrox, the 19-year-old signed a new deal with Rangers last season which ties him to the club until 2023.
He signed his contract extension between productive loan stints at Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Raith Rovers, where he got a taste for senior league football.
Earlier this summer, it was reported that Partick Thistle and Dunfermline were vying for his signature on a season-long loan [Daily Record].
However, cash offers then started to land for the Scotland youth international.
A Daily Record report claimed that West Ham, Norwich City and an unnamed French club had all seen initial bids turned down, and although Norwich’s alleged interest has since been rubbished [Pink Un], the Hammers appear to be very keen and their initial bid was said to be in the region of £600k [Daily Mail].
Earlier this week, Pete O’Rourke claimed that a second offer from the London club had been turned down but it seems that they were undeterred by the rejection.
That’s as the journalist asserts that a third bid in excess of £1m has been tabled, with David Moyes ‘pushing’ for a deal.
If this claim is correct, Rangers are facing a real quandary.
Kennedy is one of the brightest young talents to come through the Academy for several years and supporters are pushing for more homegrown talents to receive first-team opportunities.
However, the teenager only has one senior appearance under his belt so far and the enduring talk of a loan exit suggests Steven Gerrard had already decided that the youngster wasn’t in his plans for 2021/22.
The question now is, do the Light Blues continue to reject West Ham’s advances because Kennedy is genuinely seen as a future star at Ibrox? Or do they give in and accept a very substantial fee for an unproven talent?
Rangers’ next move will be an indication of just how highly rated the youngster is at Ibrox.
Kennedy isn’t the only Ger linked with a Premier League move this summer, with a 25-year-old reportedly the subject of ‘concrete interest’.