The former Gers winger has been released from a miserable spell at Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce, 16 months after signing for the Turkish giants when his Ibrox contract expired.
With the Light Blues not blessed with extensive options in the wide attacking areas it has immediately sparked speculation that the Englishman could head back to Glasgow.
Long-term injuries to Rabbi Matondo and Oscar Cortes have left Clement short in recent weeks, and while the Belgian has refused to be drawn on any plans to do a Kent deal his comments show a key conditions is in place for it to happen.
Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho had no place for Ryan Kent at Fenerbahce, so a Rangers return could happen.
Rangers boss wanted winger at Club Brugge
The Rangers manager admitted he is a fan of the 27-year-old and tried to sign him while in charge of Club Brugge before he signed for the Light Blues permanently in 2019.
He said, via The Rangers Review (18 October): “Of course, I know the player, and I’ve known him a long time, because the moment he went to Rangers, I was in talks with him to get him to Brugge.
“But there was a better deal, I think, in Rangers, in that way, so he chose for that. So, I’ve known him a long time, but I’m not going into rumours about bringing players on.”
That doesn’t make an Ibrox return a foregone conclusion by any means but the door would have been shut immediately had Clement not been bothered, so familiarity and a past interest to the point of actually holding talks is a major potential signifier that there would be interest again.
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From that point much will depend on two factors now – Kent’s interest in taking a pay cut, and who is available at Ibrox come January.
He wouldn’t be able to play for Rangers until the winter window comes around either way, so if there is confidence in the fitness of Cortes or Matondo by then it may block the way.
But with the Colombian confounding Ibrox staff with repeated major issues since his arrival, and a prediction that he may be out for as long as four months currently [Open Goal, 10 October] suggests it would be a stretch.
Matondo was reportedly ruled out for three months immediately after the transfer window closed [Football Scotland, 5 September] but posted on Instagram on 7 October he was back in training, although Ibrox News pundit Derek Ferguson insists the Welshman should have been sold in the summer so his long-term prospects may not be the best.
But given the winger has played just 19 times since the start of last season it is evident that he needs to find somewhere that he can rebound properly, and the club where he has had most success – 89 goals and assists in 218 Rangers appearances [Transfermarkt] – would logically be a possibility.
So, in the circumstances, in the wouldn’t a shock if he were open to a cheaper deal to get his career back on track.
In the grand scheme of things it would ultimately be an admission of failure for both club and player to reunite, as Rangers were supposed to be moving onwards and upwards with an overhaul under Micheal Beale last summer transfer window, but that is still not complete now.
But beggars can’t be choosers so with Kent in need of rehabilitating himself and Clement essentially now in a ‘needs must’ situation the conditions might be right on both sides for a deal to be done.
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