Steven Gerrard spoke over the weekend about interest from Leeds in Rangers winger Ryan Kent.
As per TeamTalk, the Liverpool legend said the Whites weren’t close to the club’s valuation of the ‘fantastic’ wideman.
He did admit that if they did hit a certain figure, the decision would probably be taken out of his hands.
We’ve looked at three reasons why Rangers need to hang onto Kent unless a simply ridiculous offer comes in.
Send the right message
It looks as if Alfredo Morelos will leave Ibrox this summer and the time is right on that score.
Morelos has been Rangers’ talisman under Gerrard, but he has signed two strikers this summer to pre-emptively replace the Colombian.
The attitude of the striker to games this season has also made Gerrard’s decision easier.
Seeing a player like Kent go, when Gerrard clearly wants him to stay so much and he’s a huge part of what Rangers are trying to do this season is a different situation entirely.
Rangers will want to send a message that the top players Gerrard wants to keep are not for sale unless big, big money comes in.
How do you replace him?
The money Rangers would want for Kent should buy a good replacement on the open market, but it’s easier said than done.
Having the money in the bank isn’t as useful for Gerrard as having Kent; he’d rather have the player than the cash and the burden of trying to replace him.
That’s especially true in the current financial climate.
Any new recruit would have to get up to speed while Rangers’ campaign is going on, while Kent knows all about Gerrard’s methods and the expectations of the club.
Creative threat
Kent has made a flying start to Rangers’ season, with three Scottish Premiership goals already.
Marcelo Bielsa clearly feels he is a player who could shine in the Premier League.
Kent could well be one of the players of the season in Scotland if he stays, and Gerrard obviously wants to build a team where his creative threat – in terms of goals and assists – is at the core.
No manager wants to lose goals from his team, and in a summer where Morelos’s future is up in the air, Gerrard won’t want to lose Kent’s output as well.
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