Rangers could land Ryan Kent 2.0 with Ibrox move for “incredible” star

The loan player. Glasgow Rangers have had plenty over the years. From the good to the bad to the downright ugly, Ibrox has seen them all.

With the status of Scottish football shifting throughout the 21st century, no longer can Rangers or Celtic attract the best of the best. This means bringing higher-quality players on a loan deal, where they can showcase their talents before returning to their parent club.

Some have produced moments of magic that will be forever remembered among the fans. Who can forget Gregory Vignal’s stunning effort against Celtic in 2005? Or Vladimir Weiss’ quick-thinking assist against Celtic in the 2011 League Cup final?

More recently, the likes of Malick Tillman, Abdallah Sima, and Vaclav Cerny have all embraced life in Glasgow, going on to shine for the Ibrox side during their temporary spells at the club.

One name stands above the rest, however, especially in terms of the impact he had on the club and what happened next.

Ryan Kent didn’t take long to become a cult hero at Ibrox during the 2018/19 season, and Steven Gerrard saw his potential, signing him permanently in the summer of 2019.

Just how good was he during his maiden season at the club?

Remembering Ryan Kent’s wonderful loan spell at Rangers

When Gerrard arrived in May 2018 to take over the reins at the Gers, it became clear that he would use his influence to bring a host of players to Ibrox from across Europe.

His Liverpool connections would also come in handy. Jon Flanagan moved to Glasgow, as did Ovie Ejaria on a loan deal.

Kent was certainly the most interesting talent out of all the loan signings that summer, and he went on to sparkle for the Gers.

Throughout the whole campaign, he scored six goals and grabbed nine assists for Rangers, despite missing several matches due to a hamstring injury.

The winger assisted Ryan Jack’s winner against Celtic in December 2018, the first time Rangers had defeated their Old Firm rivals in a league match for eight years.

A few months later, he scored a sublime solo goal against the same opposition while also punching Celtic captain Scott Brown.

Both of these feats further endeared him to the Ibrox faithful, and when the campaign was over, it became a case of when, rather than if, Kent would sign permanently.

Gerrard kept the fans on their toes, with the announcement coming on deadline day, but the club finally had their man. A transfer fee of £7m was spent in the process, the highest fee the club had spent in years.

By the time he left in 2023, Kent had made over 200 competitive appearances for the Light Blues, scoring 33 goals and registering 56 assists.

It was his initial loan spell that paved the way for Kent to enjoy plenty of success at Rangers when he joined permanently.

Could Russell Martin perhaps replicate this feat by signing a player on loan from the Premier League ahead of next season?

Rangers eye loan move for Premier League player

While Martin won’t be keen on overly relying on loan players next term, bringing a few top-class stars in will only benefit the squad.

Indeed, Nasser Djiga has moved from Wolverhampton Wanderers until the end of the season. As has Max Aarons. Both of these signings have featured in the Premier League before and should prove to be excellent additions to Martin’s squad.

He isn’t stopping there. According to recent reports, the manager is keen on signing Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Carl Rushworth on a temporary deal in the coming weeks.

Rushworth played under Martin at Swansea City; therefore, he knows his expectations and style of play, which could prove crucial.

The south coast side have reportedly knocked back a loan offer from one club in the Championship, and Martin will have to act swiftly in order to wrap up a deal.

It could be an interesting signing for sure, but would Rushworth be guaranteed first-team football at Ibrox next season?

Why Rangers must sign Carl Rushworth

Martin has a specific style of play which focuses on building the attack from the defence.

Having a goalkeeper who is excellent at distribution would aid in this philosophy, and Rushworth could be an ideal signing in this regard.

Scout Kai Watson even stated that “distribution seems to be his biggest strength which is key for Russell Martin’s system” when profiling the player amid his links to Rangers.

The data that this was based on came from the 2023/24 season, where he shone for Swansea City.

Indeed, during that campaign, he played all 46 Championship matches for the Welsh side, conceding 1.4 goals per game and saving 69% of the shots he faced.

Passing-wise, Rushworth succeeded with 89% of passes inside his own half, while he also recovered 9.5 balls per match, suggesting he acted swiftly to gather loose balls before making accurate passes to start an attack.

Rushworth also succeeded with 100% of his dribbles and won 85% of his total duels contested for the Swans that season.

He was also dubbed “incredible” by his former manager at Swansea, Luke Williams, and there is no doubt that Rushworth would make for an exciting signing heading into the Champions League qualifiers in a couple of weeks.

Much will depend on whether he is guaranteed regular gametime at Rangers throughout 2025/26. Considering Jack Butland and Liam Kelly both failed to really impress last term, bringing in a new ‘keeper certainly isn’t a bad idea by Martin.

A loan deal – as it did in the case of Kent – would work out well for all parties involved, and hopefully, Martin will insert an option to buy clause in any proposed deal.

The 39-year-old is working tirelessly to add much-needed quality to the squad. Rushworth would definitely be one of the final pieces of the jigsaw, that’s for sure.

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Best winger since Kent: Rangers plotting Ibrox move for “rapid’ £2m star

As Russell Martin targets a new wide-attacker, could Rangers sign an absolutely “rapid’ youngster worth £2m to be their best winger since Ryan Kent?