Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has come out and said the club has no interest in loaning out Ryan Kent this season.
In what could be the killing blow for Rangers hopes to have young winger Ryan Kent return to Ibrox, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says they have no interest in sending Kent out on loan this season.
The full quote when asked was “The time is over, I think, for loans, because of his age. The players need to find a place where they can settle. A loan is not an option.” On top of that, when asked about Kent returning to Rangers specifically Klopp said: “If they buy him.”
This is not automatically a killing blow. It would be far from the first time that a manager speaks a smokescreen in an attempt to gain better leverage. That said, when combined with Rangers manager Steven Gerrard’s increasing pessimism about Kent’s potential return, it isn’t looking good.
Essentially there are two options for what to make of Klopp’s statement. The first is that he’s telling the truth and Liverpool will not send Kent out on loan under any circumstances which would all but ensure he doesn’t return to Rangers.
Even if it is a smokescreen, it is being done to try and put pressure on other clubs to make a better offer to buy him. Indicating that even if they are privately open to sending him out on loan again, Liverpool has a strong preference to sell him.
One other factor is that Kent, early in the Summer, said that he personally would rather not be loaned out again and would like to find a place to stay long-term. This could mean Klopp’s “no-loan” ultimatum is actually the club doing as Kent wishes.
At this point, Rangers best hope is that the market for Kent is much cooler than reported. Liverpool is supposedly looking for 10-15 million as a fee which is likely well outside of what Rangers would give for him even if they had the funds.
If the market is much cooler than that, and the transfer window closes with him still at Liverpool. Perhaps they would entertain a loan to Ibrox with an option to buy at a price within Rangers budget. This would likely also please Kent as he said he enjoyed his time in Glasgow and would have his long-term home.
All that said, while there is still a chance, at this point, it is likely best to assume that Kent will not be returning this season.