Barcelona weighing up a summer move for 25-year-old English forward: Reports
Barcelona are interested in signing Rangers FC player Ryan Kent this summer, according to Fichajes. The Catalan club are looking to sign a winger to replace Ousmane Dembele if he leaves or find competition for him.
The Frenchman's future is up in the air with the player running out of contract in June. Paris Saint-Germain have tabled an offer for the Frenchman but he is yet to decide on his next destination. The forward would ideally like to continue his stay at the Camp Nou, but Barcelona cannot offer him similar money.
Fichajes reports that Barcelona are huge admirers of Leeds United forward Raphinha as well. However, his market value of €45 million is a setback for Xavi Hernandez and co.
In that sense, Kent will be a cost-effective alternate to invest in, with little worry of the gamble not paying off. The Liverpool academy graduate joined the Scottish side in 2019 and has since been a mainstay in their attack. He has scored 30 goals and made 47 assists in 171 matches for Rangers.
Every single time I watch Rangers I just think, how is Ryan Kent not in England squad 😲
The Rangers forward's contract expires in 2023 and the player has refused to renew his contract with the Ibrox outfit. The club will find it beneficial to cash in on him in the summer rather than lose him for free. Meanwhile, Raphinha's contract expires in 2024, so Leeds will exploit that when negotiating his price and will try to sell him around his market value.
How do Barcelona's attacking targets fare against one another?
Raphinha has proven himself to be a constant threat in the Premier League, which is considered the most competitive league in Europe. As such, he could be considered the pick of the two from the Barcelona faithful's perspective. However, Ryan Kent has been proving his worth in the Europa League as well as the Scottish Premiership, and cannot be overlooked.
As far as the numbers go, both have been thoroughly impressive this season. The English forward has shown his creativity from the wings, bagging 19 assists and three goals in 43 appearances across competitions.
Meanwhile, the Leeds winger has struck 10 goals and provided three assists in 32 appearances.
If Leeds United get relegated, Barcelona will trigger Raphinha's 25m release clause.
— @Telegraph https://t.co/75cJyx5OmK
It will be interesting to see if the Blaugrana are willing to go all out to sign Raphinha or opt for a less risky alternative in Kent. Rangers will contest the Europa League final against Eintracht Frankfurt on May 18. The 25-year old forward will fancy lifting the trophy before leaving the club.