A pivotal summer awaits for Rangers. 49ers Enterprises, led by Paraag Marathe, are set to complete their 51% majority takeover of the Ibrox club in the coming weeks, but they’ll have plenty of work to do, needing to hire a new manager to replace Barry Ferguson, while a major squad overhaul is also required.
The incoming owners will also need to work fast because, as Scottish Premiership runners-up, Rangers will enter the Champions League at the second qualifying round stage, the first leg of which takes place on 22/23 July, in just ten weeks’ time.
Their potential opponents in that tie are currently forecast to be Brann, Wolfsberger or familiar foes Servette, before potentially encountering Fenerbahçe, Panathinaikos, Viktoria Plzeň, Nice, Club Brugge or Benfica later down the line, meaning it will require some effort if they’re to make it into the league phase.
So, with numerous new signings required, and the Gers a little bit cash-strapped to put it mildly, could they secure a new wide-attacker for free, reminiscent of Ryan Kent?
Ryan Kent's Rangers career in numbers
Kent remains Rangers’ most-expensive signing of the club’s modern history, signing permanently from Liverpool for a reported fee of £7.5m in 2019, having shone on loan the season before, a fee only surpassed by the £12m paid to Chelsea to secure Tore André Flo’s services all the way back in November 2000.
In total, the Englishman scored 33 goals and racked up 56 assists in 218 appearances for the club, a key figure in the 2020/21 Premiership title-winning campaign, as well as the team that reached the Europa League Final a year later.
Scott Bradley of Breaking the Lines notes that, at his best, Kent was a ‘flamboyant’ and ‘dazzling’ winger, while also praising his ‘exceptional’ off-ball work rate, before documenting how he endured a ‘disappointing’ final season in Glasgow, ultimately moving to Fenerbahçe on a free transfer in the summer of 2023.
After making very little impact in İstanbul, Kent recently joined Major League Soccer outfit Seattle Sounders, for whom he has registered three assists across his first four appearances, including this astonishing run that teed up Albert Rusnák as the Rave Green beat Houston Dynamo 3-1 in Texas last Saturday night.
Now, can Rangers secure a winger who shares many of the qualities that Kent showcased during his five-year stay in Govan?
Rangers seeking their new Ryan Kent
As reported by Stephen McGowan of the Herald, Rangers are ‘monitoring’ winger Tyrhys Dolan, with fierce rivals Celtic also interested.
Dolan is set to become a free agent on 1 July, given that his contract with Blackburn Rovers will expire this summer, and it is widely-expected he will not sign a new one.
This is despite the fact Rovers manager Valérien Ismaël would reportedly love to keep the 23-year-old at Ewood Park, stating “he knows the environment he’s got, the love we give him”, adding “he is an important player”.
Former Blackburn boss John Eustace labelled Dolan “outstanding” and a “fantastic young player”, while Elliott Jackson of the Lancashire Telegraph described him as “absolutely terrific”, so let’s assess his statistics this season.
Minutes
3,175
86th
Goals
7
42nd
Assists
6
18th
Shots
50
61st
Shots on target %
44%
20th
Shot-creating actions
99
41st
Goal-creating actions
17
7th
Attempted take-ons
152
7th
Progressive carries
94
27th
Carries into the final third
72
15th
The table underlines that Dolan is a high-quality dribbler, ranked seventh for attempted take-ons in the EFL Championship, hence why writer Kai Watson labels him “quick” and a “direct… goal threat”.
But, how does the 23-year-old compare to Kent at the peak of his particular powers?
Appearances
47
52
Minutes
3,269
4.251
Goals
7
13
Assists
6
14
Shots
50
102
Shots on target %
44%
38.2%
Big chances missed
10
10
Big chances created
7
11
Dribble success %
43%
53%
Average Sofascore rating
6.82
7.05
As the table outlines, when Kent was at his best in 2020/21, his statistics are almost universally more impressive than Dolan’s from this campaign, albeit he did play around 1,000 more minutes across all competitions.
Nevertheless, Dolan’s numbers do compare favourably to Kent’s, with more of his shots finding the target for one, and they both dribble more than most, hence why the duo can be compared stylistically.
What is clear is that Dolan is a high-quality, high-potential player so, if Rangers are able to sign him, merely paying a nominal compensation fee, that would be a fantastic addition, with many more arrivals needed.
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