Pundit Frank McAvennie has claimed that Rangers star Ryan Kent needs to be more consistent amid reported interest from the Premier League.
The Lowdown: Kent linked with England return
As per journalist Dean Jones, further relayed by the Daily Record, the 25-year-old winger is a target for clubs south of the border.
The reporter claimed that Jesse Marsch’s Leeds will make a move for the Rangers ace if Raphinha ends up leaving the Yorkshire club this summer. The Brazil international is at the centre of a transfer saga between Arsenal, Barcelona and Chelsea, with a reported outlay of £60m needed to secure the player’s services.
After signing for the Light Blues on a permanent deal in 2019 following an initial loan spell at Ibrox, the Englishman now has just under a year left on his Rangers contract, so there is a real possibility that he could leave Glasgow on a free transfer next summer, or for a reduced fee in the current transfer window.
The Latest: McAvennie questions Kent
McAvennie, who has five caps for Scotland, has claimed that Kent needs to become more consistent if he is to make the move to the Premier League.
When questioned whether the Rangers attacker would make Leeds’ first XI, the 62-year-old told Football Insider: "Yeah he’ll get a game at Leeds. They’re talking about selling players as well, if the right players go at Leeds I’m sure he’d get a game. If they’re going to pay money from him they’ll want him to do something.
"Kent will go for a bit of money just because he came from Liverpool. There’s no doubting the boy’s ability but my biggest problem with Kent is that he has to be more consistent. You have to have a standard.
"The good players aren’t great every week but they don’t go under a seven out of ten, they work their socks off and they try hard whereas Kent, when he’s having a bad game, he tends to be out the game and he’s got to work on that. But there’s no doubting his talent."
The Verdict: Rangers must keep him
When looking at Kent’s underlying statistics, it is easy to see why he is so important to Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side and why they need to try and keep him if Leeds' apparent interest is ramped up.
When compared with positional peers across Europe's major leagues over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks in the 92nd percentile for dribbles completed and the 91st percentile for tackles (via FBRef).
Since coming to the Premiership, the forward has accrued 23 goals and 26 assists in 101 league appearances for the Light Blues.
Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard was a big fan of Kent, having labelled the former Liverpool winger as a ‘sensational’ player during his stint in Glasgow.
Therefore, if Leeds are forced into the market for a winger this summer, Rangers fans should be worried, because it could be Kent heading out of the door.