Barcelona set sights on Ryan Kent

La Liga heavyweights Barcelona are reportedly weighing up a summer move for English winger Ryan Kent, valued at €10 million by Rangers.

According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Ryan Kent is surprisingly the subject of interest from Barcelona over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The English winger is valued at around €10 million by Rangers, with the Blaugrana considering him a cost-effective alternative to Raphinha.

Ryan Kent has found a stable footing in his career since joining Rangers from Liverpool. The 25-year-old initially spent the 2018/19 season on loan at the Scottish club before completing a permanent transfer in September 2019. And he has since established himself as a pivotal figure for Rangers.

The English winger has enjoyed a solid 2021/22 campaign, wherein he has been a creative force for Rangers, amassing three goals and 19 assists in 43 appearances across all competitions. But the Scottish giants are in a spot of bother over Kent’s long-term future as his contract expires next year, and he has not shown any inclination towards penning a renewal. Such a situation has captured the attention of Barcelona.

Barcelona will delve into the market for a wide attacker in the summer transfer window as Adama Traore will return to Wolverhampton Wanderers for good when his loan deal expires. In addition, Ousmane Dembele’s future remains up in the air, even though he is open to extending his stay at Camp Nou.

Embed from Getty Images

As a result, the Catalan giants are keen on signing a right-sided winger, with Raphinha emerging as a target. The Brazilian international is prioritising joining Barcelona in the summer transfer window. But Barcelona might not be able to afford to pay his asking price if Leeds United avoid the drop to the EFL Championship.

The La Liga heavyweights are thus identifying cost-effective alternatives for Raphinha, with Kent emerging on their radar. Barcelona will need to pay only €10 million to sign the English winger as his contract runs out in a year.

It is unclear if Kent is open to joining Barcelona, but the prospect of playing for one of the biggest clubs in Europe might be too appealing to turn down. Kent has shown that he is cut out for the big stage and the clutch situations after playing a leading role in Rangers’ win over RB Leipzig, which sent them to the UEFA Europa League final, and he could be a solid addition at FC Barcelona.