Youngster Ryan Kent To Be Assessed During Preseason

Much of the summer so far has been spent discussing which players Liverpool could conceivably bring in, or inconceivably (looking at you, Aubameyang). Which players the Reds are looking to move on, on free transfers or for a little more cash than what they spent. Lest we forget, though, that Liverpool has a burgeoning list of talented youngsters, ready and waiting for their moment to come. Many of them have already spent a successful year on loan, and with the amount of matches Liverpool are set to play next season nearly doubling, there might be room for them all. Or none at all, if transfers work in our favor this summer.

One such youngster is Ryan Kent. The 20 year old winger has come up through the Liverpool academy and was loaned to Championship side Barnsley F. C. last season, chalking up 45 appearances for the Tykes. With this he was named Tykes’ Young Player of the Season, before being sent back to Merseyside at the end of the season. He made one appearance for the Reds senior team, being called up in the FA Cup tie against Exeter City in January 2016.

Kent will rejoin the Reds early next month in Melwood, claims the Echo, to be assessed by boss Jürgen Klopp before preseason begins. Klopp is in no rush, apparently, to find Kent and others a new home, and is likely to feature in friendlies against Tranmere and Wigan later this summer. Kent had also been linked with a £6 million move to Bournemouth, but the Cherries denied this, saying they’re not interested in a loan or permanent move for the young winger.

Kent is in good company, as fellow attackers Harry Wilson and Sheyi Ojo look to influence their fates by showing what they’re made of to the boss next month. Liverpool previously rejected interest in Wilson from Celtic, while Ojo made a few appearances on the bench for the Reds last season when chips were down. At least one of them is certainly likely to find playing minutes elsewhere next season, should transfers go our way, but it could be a double-edged sword if we send off too many of the kids, and then be stuck again without the backups that we need.

A summer of uncertainty, not just for supporters but for players as always.