View: Aston Villa must open talks in January to sign Ryan Kent
Aston Villa have been given a boost in their pursuit of long-term target, Rangers star Ryan Kent with the forward still not agreeing on terms to a new deal at Ibrox, according to Birmingham Live.
Kent has been linked with a move to Villa Park ever since Steven Gerrard took over at the club but the 25-year-old remains a key player for Rangers.
The winger has already contributed three assists in four appearances for Rangers this season and the Scottish club are keen to tie him down to a new deal as his current contract runs out next summer.
Villa should be looking to make a move for Kent when the transfer window reopens on January 1st, 2023 and a move to the English top-flight may prove hard to resist for the 25-year-old.
Rangers will be fully aware that if they don’t get a deal agreed for Kent soon they risk losing one of their prized assets for free, with a pre-contract possible in the winter window.
Villa in favourable position
Gerrard and Villa must try to secure Kent for a reduced fee in January, and it could ultimately leave the Premier League club in the driving seat.
The Villans can reap the rewards from rules that mean players with six months remaining on their contracts can enter talks with overseas clubs over joining on a free transfer in the summer.
This means the Rangers winger would be allowed to talk to Villa over a potential summer move in January.
In turn, this allows Gerrard to sign Kent six months in advance without him arriving until the summer, fending off the rife competition that will likely be swarming him for his signature.
Kent has a wealth of experience under his belt after joining Rangers from Liverpool; making 182 appearances for the Scottish giants, scoring 30 goals and providing 50 assists along the way. [Transfermarkt].
All in all, Kent would be a solid signing for Villa, Gerrard already knows the player well from his time at Rangers and looks to be able to get the best out of him; this one is a no-brainer if the winger wants to leave Ibrox.
In other Aston Villa news, Villa must make move for Conor Gallagher after Thomas Tuchel sacking at Chelsea