Lazio are reportedly on the verge of completing a deal with Turkish Super Lig side Fenerbahce for an initial loan of winger Ryan Kent: here’s a look at how the 27-year-old will fit into Maurizio Sarri’s plans at the Stadio Olimpico.
Kent was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester and joined the nearby Liverpool academy while still in primary school. He managed to stay on Liverpool’s books for close to 15 years by the time he left to join Rangers permanently in 2019.
While still contracted to Liverpool, Kent was sent out on a series of loan spells across the English Football League, Bundesliga and Scottish Premier League. Clubs in the early stages of his career included Coventry City, Barnsley, Freiburg and Bristol City.
Kent is best known, however, for his stellar performances at Ibrox for Rangers. Jurgen Klopp sanctioned a one-year loan spell to the Scottish giants at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, during which time Kent returned six goals from 27 appearances on the wing.
Kent’s first Old Firm derby against Celtic made headlines, as he scored Rangers’ sole goal in a 2-1 loss, as well as receiving a two-match ban for shoving Celtic hardman and captain Scott Brown to the floor during the second half.
Still only 21 during his first season in Scotland, Kent was awarded with Rangers’ Young Player of the Year award at the end of the campaign and was also included in the Scottish PFA Team of the Year.
Steven Gerrard, who was in charge of Rangers at the time, had to fend off competition from a number of clubs including Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United in order to sign Kent permanently for a fee of €7.6m (£6.5m) plus bonuses in the summer of 2019.
Kent would go on to notch 17 league goals during his next two seasons, including 10 in the title-winning 2020-21 campaign.
Rangers’ title win in 2021 was the club’s first in a decade and signalled a return to the top of the Scottish football pyramid, having been relegated to the fourth division after entering administration in 2012.
Having signed a four-year contract with Rangers in 2019, Kent decided to leave on a free transfer at the end of his deal in 2023.
Fenerbahce was his next destination, signing another four-year deal in the summer of 2023. However, he has struggled to claim a position in the starting line-up in Turkey due to the consistent performances of Cengiz Under and Dusan Tadic.
So far this season, Kent has made seven appearances in the league, most of which have come from the bench. He has not featured since mid-November.
Now, Lazio have offered him an escape route. He is expected to provide cover on the left wing and could potentially be the long-term successor to Felipe Anderson should he decide to leave the Biancocelesti at the end of the season.