Rangers winger Ryan Kent could sign a pre-contract agreement with Aston Villa in January, according to The Birmingham Mail. 

The lowdown

Kent is into the final 12 months of the four-year contract he signed following his £6.48million move from Liverpool in 2019 (via Transfermarkt).

As per sports journalist Pete O'Rourke, former Villa boss Steven Gerrard remains a 'big fan' of Kent following his stint in the Ibrox dugout.

He's been 'linked' with a move to the Midlands outfit ever since Gerrard took over last November.

The latest

Journalist Amie Wilson writes that Villa could 'get their man' by exploiting a FIFA rule.

Come January, Kent will be able to hold negotiations with the Premier League side over a free transfer in the summer.

This could see Villa secure the signing in advance and 'beat off competition' for the player they covet.

The verdict

Losing Kent on a free transfer would be a huge dual blow for Rangers.

On the one hand, they would miss out on what could have been a big windfall, with Kent valued at £15.75million by Transfermarkt.

That's the highest figure in the Rangers squad, and so it may be seen as bad business to let him walk away for nothing.

And beyond that, Giovanni van Bronckhorst would also be losing a quality player despite his worrying recent form.

Impressively, Kent has been directly involved in 80 goals across his 182 appearances for the club (scoring 30 and assisting 50 more).

The Englishman has been hailed as a 'big-game player' by journalist Andrew Dickson, having been directly involved in five goals in last season's Europa League knockout stages.