Ally McCoist gives Leeds hope of sealing signing of ‘spectacular’ star
Ally McCoist feels Rangers may be forced into the sale of star man Ryan Kent after their Champions League failure, amid talk of a fresh approach from Leeds United.
Kent, 24, has proved to be a superb signing for Steven Gerrard after arriving in a permanent £7m del from Liverpool in 2019. His form has had scouts flocking to see him and Leeds have long been on his trail.
Indeed, Marcelo Bielsa failed with a couple of bids to get Kent on board last summer. However, he’s a player who remains very much of interest to the Leeds boss and the West Yorkshire outfit are reportedly considering Kent once again.
And while Rangers rate Kent highly, their hopes of keeping him have suffered a setback. That’s after a 2-1 defeat to Malmo saw them lose 4-2 on aggregate in the Champions League third-qualifying round.
Missing out on a place in the lucrative competition will hit Rangers hard in the pocket. As such, they may be forced to sell their star man to bridge that gap. That has led in turn to talk of a fresh approach from Leeds.
Now McCoist, speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast on Wednesday, reckons there is a possibility that Rangers could be forced to sell Kent – a man described as “spectacular” by Michael Laudrup.
McCoist said: “Kent they spent a few quid on from Liverpool. But obviously the rumours are that Leeds are still hovering around and are interested in taking him.”
Speaking back in May, Kent indicated that, despite links to Leeds, playing in the Champions League was a big reason for him to stay.
“It’s just playing in the now. It’s nice to be linked with other big clubs,” Kent said.
“But, you’ve got to understand your duty to where you’re at.
“And as long as I’m at Rangers I’ll always give them 100 per cent.
“I love this place and the club’s done so much for me. As long as I’m here I’ll be totally focused on Rangers.
“The Champions League will be massive, it’s the biggest stage in club football. Being able to test yourself against the best players in the world and best teams in the world.”
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Leeds are keen to add to their forward line and have also been linked with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Noa Lang and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
But a £20m offer could be enough to tempt Rangers into the sale of Kent were Leeds to move.
Despite talk of a fresh approach from United, former Rangers man Barry Ferguson is adamant Kent should stay at Ibrox.
“I just hope he is one player that the manager is allowed to keep,” he said earlier this year. “I’m sure if clubs down south like Leeds were watching the game, he was the stand out performer.
“I know [Kemar] Roofe came in and scored more but for me Ryan Kent was the outstanding player by a country mile.”
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