Just give Ryan Kent whatever he wants.
The 26-year old is clearly integral to Michael Beale’s plans and everything he is trying to achieve and since the manager returned to the club he has taken the shackles off a player who many would have been happy to see leave a few months ago.
Now though, he is the first name on the team sheet and a player rejuvenated. Signing a new contract would give everyone connected with the club a massive lift and, speaking after the 3-2 win over Kilmarnock, his departure might not yet be decided as reported by The Scotsman:
“No (decision over a new deal) as of yet, I’m just concentrating on the remainder of this season and I’ll sit down with the manager and discuss my future.
“It’s not a distraction for myself. Maybe for people discussing it on the outside it may seem that way but I’ll just be concentrating on my game and I have full trust in the manager to keep backing me to play.
“The manager has been key in my career since I was a young lad and the trust is reciprocated.”
I’ve always thought that Kent was more likely to stay and that last summer was the time for him to go if he wanted to spread his wings, as one of the Europa League’s best players last season he wouldn’t have been short of options.
One thing you can guarantee is that he would double his wage if he went to the Premier League, however, he wouldn’t be the main man and he wouldn’t have a manager who has known him since he was a teenager and clearly trusts him to be a key attacking force.
Obviously, we have a wage budget to keep to but, if he is Beale’s most important player, he should be paid accordingly – and he’d be worth every penny.