Aston Villa may have to sign Ryan Kent on a permanent deal if they hope to land the winger this summer.
That is because of Premier League rules which dictate that English clubs can only loan two players from teams in the same league as them.
According to a report in the Daily Record, Kent’s parent club Liverpool would prefer to send the 22-year-old out on loan for a fourth consecutive year, meaning Villa would have to use one of their loan spots to bring him in.
However, the report also suggests that Liverpool would consider bids to buy Kent, who is currently valued at around £12 million by the Reds.
That could be the better option for Dean Smith, who would be left with little room to manoeuvre with other Premier League based targets if Kent was to be brought in short term.
Axel Tuanzebe and Tammy Abraham, both of whom spent last season with Villa on loan from Manchester United and Chelsea respectively, are wanted again but are both at top-flight clubs and would likely only be available on loan, if at all.
Therefore, the play-off final winners may be better served keeping their loan spots open for the return of players such as Tuanzebe and Abraham, who have been tried and tested in the team.
If Villa were to offer an attractive fee for Kent, it could see them beat Rangers and Leeds United to the attacker, with the Scottish side current front-runners for his signature.
