Left for free, now worth £8m: Beale had a Rangers shocker on 5 ft 7 “wizard”
Rangers had a surprise on a player they let go for free under Michael Beale.
Philippe Clement, Glasgow Rangers’ manager, has drastically transformed the team since taking over in mid-October.
Under his predecessor, Michael Beale, the Gers struggled in the early weeks of the season. In addition to losing three of their first seven Premier League games, they were ousted from the Champions League in the last qualifying round.
The board’s decision to fire him following a 3-1 loss to Aberdeen at Ibrox may have been the best of the season, especially given Clement’s impressive start.
Beale struggled with not only the club’s results during his ten-month tenure, but also with player management, failing to sign numerous key players to long-term contracts in the second part of the 2022/23 season.
One of these players has moved, and his market worth has skyrocketed, implying that Beale pulled a surprise by letting him depart for free.
Why Ryan Kent left Rangers
The English winger began the 2022/23 season thinking that it would be his final season with Rangers, but as the season continued, neither Giovanni van Bronckhorst nor Beale raised the possibility of an extension.
Several players, including Scott Arfield, Alfredo Morelos, Filip Helander, and Allan McGregor, were still hunting for new contracts when the season drew to an end.
While the latter two were expected to depart, Kent, Morelos, and Arfield all had reasonable claims to be offered extensions, but Beale seems content to go his own way and execute a summer clear-out.
It ended an outstanding five-year career at Ibrox, where Kent consistently shredded opponent defences both domestically and in Europe..
Ryan Kent’s market value at Rangers
After a successful loan stay with six goals and nine assists, including a solo effort against Celtic, Steven Gerrard decided to buy him permanently.
The former Liverpool captain spent £7.5 million to sign Kent from Jürgen Klopp’s side. Despite the high cost, Kent quickly began repaying the Ibrox club.
Eight goals were scored in his first season, while the 2020/21 campaign saw the winger score 13 times and grab 14 assists both in Europe and domestically, as the Light Blues strolled to their 55th league crown and Kent was arguably one of their finest performers.
Over the next two seasons, the former Liverpool starlet struggled to find his scoring touch, scoring only six goals in 90 games. As a result, the Gers only won one title, the 2022 Scottish Cup.
While they did make it to the Europa League final that year, Kent squandered a golden opportunity to win the game in extra time, and based on his performances this season, he never recovered.
Despite struggling under Van Bronckhorst and Beale, he was only sixth in the squad for goals and assists (11) in the top tier previous season. He also rated sixth for shots on target per game (0.7) and fourth for major opportunities created (nine).
Despite being lauded as a “wizard” by former teammate Leon Balogun, the 5 foot 7 winger was definitely looking for a move away from Ibrox in the latter few months of last season.
Kent’s market price peaked at €11.7m (£10m) during his penultimate spell at Ibrox, suggesting that the club should have considered selling him at that time, especially as his contract was coming to an end.
Instead, Beale allowed him finish his previous contract, and the player left Scotland after five years without earning a transfer fee.
Leave a Reply