Aston Villa join race to sign English sensation: A shrewd move in the offing

Aston Villa have joined the race to sign Liverpool winger Ryan Kent; it has been claimed.

According to The Sun, Rangers could face fresh competition in the shape of Aston Villa in their pursuit of Ryan Kent. The Liverpool winger is in high-demand after impressing on loan at Rangers in the recently concluded season.

Steven Gerrard is keen to re-sign the young attacker next season. But Aston Villa could potentially be able to offer Premier League football and Kent’s valuation of £10 million is unlikely to deter the Villans – making them slight favourites in this transfer chase.

Ryan Kent: An ideal signing for Aston Villa?

Aston Villa have lacked consistent and reliable wide-attacking players this season, despite having at least four options in Yannick Bolasie, Andre Green, Albert Adomah and Anwar El Ghazi.

On-loan Bolasie left the club in January while Green has scored just one goal in 21 appearances. Adomah, too, hasn’t really been able to provide attacking productivity, scoring just four goals 41 matches. That means El Ghazi has been the most effective wide-player for the Villans this season, having been involved in 11 goals so far.

And to potentially make things worse, there is a fear that Jack Grealish will leave the club if things don’t go according to plan in the playoff final. The young midfielder has been Aston Villa’s creator-in-chief and his departure will surely create a gaping hole in the creative department.

The addition of Kent, in that regard, should help Dean Smith, as he will have to add to his team’s depth either way. The young winger has impressed during his time at Rangers during the 2018/19 campaign, having been involved in 15 goals. Kent’s productivity on the flanks helped Rangers provide solid competition to Celtic.

As far as gameplay is concerned, Kent likes to take on defenders in the final third while his pace makes him a genuine threat on the counter. Although he may not be as influential as Grealish in terms of chance creation, his pace, acceleration and dribbling prowess could be helpful for Aston Villa, regardless of which league they compete in next season.

It might be a little convenient for him if they remain in the Championship given the fact that Kent has only one season of Scottish top-flight experience behind him. But, playing in the Premier League will provide him with the opportunity of proving his mettle in what is arguably the most competitive football league in the world.