With reports emerging that Alfredo Morelos might have signed a pre-contract agreement with Sevilla, fans can start to come to terms with potentially saying goodbye to the enigmatic Colombian, for Ryan Kent though, it is a different matter.
When Michael Beale was announced as Rangers manager, the initial reaction was that his relationship with the playmaker would see negotiations over a new contract go a lot smoother, however, as yet, nothing has been signed and, according to the gaffer himself, nothing formal has even been discussed yet, as reported by The Rangers Review:
“We’ve had discussions around it and we’ve both parked everything until we’ve found a moment. The next moment will be during the next international break when we’ll sit and have another chat.
“We’re both cool, we’re both on the same page and I think it’s right after the amount of years he’s been here and the changes with his third manager here as well that he takes time to consider his options.
“It’s the same time that we do as well. We’ve not put anything in front of him, we’ve just had conversations.”
Despite interest from Leeds United and Burnley, I still think that Kent is more likely to sign an extension than leave. He has seen the type of player that Beale wants to bring in and they style of football that he wants to play and Kent is pivotal to that.
There is no requirement for him to score 20 goals a season, although he will know himself that he should do better. Against Hibs alone he could easily have walked away with the match ball if he had his shooting boots on.
It certainly seems more positive with Kent in that there is a plan in place to discuss what he is thinking and it is always harder to walk away from a manager that you have a personal connection with. His goal return might not make for pretty reading but, if we are to win the Scottish Premiership title back, we need as many good players as possible and Kent, for all his flaws, remains one of the first names on the team sheet.