Rangers have rejected a bid from Leeds United for Ryan Kent with STV reporting that the figure is believed to be around £8.5million plus add-ons.
£8.5m bid with (significant) add-ons is Leeds’ opening offer https://t.co/eEruo50lUp
— Raman Bhardwaj (@ramanbhardwajTV) August 21, 2020
Sky Sports were one of the media outlets to report the news, however, it would appear that Gers gaffer, Steven Gerrard, has no interest in selling the forward who has two goals in his first four games of the Scottish Premiership season.
🎙️ SG: Ryan (Kent) is a player we admire very much here and we have seen him develop. He is progressing very quickly and is a player we want to keep hold off. We very quickly rejected an opening bid that was nowhere near his valuation.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 21, 2020
🎙️ SG: We want the player to see here, as do the board. The fans love him also and Leeds will need to respect that, they need to really think hard if they want to come in again. I have spoken to Ryan and he is totally focused on the match tomorrow.
— Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) August 21, 2020
Thankfully, Gerrard made it perfectly clear that neither the board, nor himself want to see Kent sold and he will be expected to take up his usual position in the Light Blues starting line-up again Kilmarnock on Saturday hoping to make amends for the goalless draw against Livingston last weekend.
The £7.5m signing from Liverpool has looked back to his sharpest best since pre-season after a bad hamstring tear curtailed his playing time last term – he still managed a goal every three games in the league though – and if he can remain injury free, he could play a pivotal role in Rangers winning the Premiership title.
Aside from the fact that Leeds offer was pitiful, they are about to unlock the riches of the Premier League, Kent is a pivotal figure in Gerrard’s squad – one that he is nearly finished building – the last thing he would want to do is to start dismantling it ahead of one of the biggest seasons in the club’s history.