OPINION
There’s no doubt that Ryan Kent has enjoyed a phenomenal season on loan at Rangers from Liverpool, but is he ready for the step up to the Premier League?
That’s the question that the Reds will be asking themselves, but it’s something that newly-promoted Aston Villa must be considering as well.
That’s because Football Insider reported on Tuesday that Dean Smith’s side are in pole position to sign the 22-year-old after securing promotion back to the top flight on Monday.
However, the Villans need to watch out with this one. Kent has done well in Glasgow, but there’s nothing to suggest that he’d be able to cut it in the Premier League. As a newly-promoted team, is it worth the risk for Villa to bring him in this summer?
Smith has done extremely well to secure promotion, but he’ll know that his squad needs serious surgery this off season. First team regulars Axel Tuanzebe, Tyrone Mings, Anwar El Ghazi and Tammy Abraham are all only at the club on loan, and will likely need to be replaced this summer.
So with so much work to do, is Kent really who the club should be looking to sign as a matter of priority? He’s a talented young player, but surely a more proven Premier League performer would be a better option for Villa.
That’s nothing against the player himself, it’s just a suggestion that perhaps the money that looks set to be spent on him could be better used over a few different positions.
So perhaps Smith should put this mooted move on the back-burner. It’s a big risk and it’s one that the club aren’t in a position to make given the holes in their squad. It would surely be much better to move on to other targets.