Aston Villa have recently been mentioned with an interest in Rangers winger Ryan Kent, whose current contract at Ibrox expires next summer.
However, it seems as though the idea of seeing the winger coming to Villa Park has been shot down to some extent.
McAvennie unconvinced by Kent
Speaking to Football Insider, former Aston Villa Frank McAvennie addressed the possibility of Kent joining the Midlands club, believing that the 25-year-old would not be a sensible recruit for Steven Gerrard’s side.
The 62-year-old said of Kent: “He would not fit into the Aston Villa team. They have got so many forward-thinking players at Aston Villa, you can’t squeeze them all in. At some point, you have got to defend.
“At some point, you have got to chase back and he is not doing that. He is not showing a willingness to do that. When you lose the ball the first thing you have to do is get it back.”
Rangers initially signed the Englishman on loan from Liverpool in 2018 before securing him on a permanent basis a year later in a deal worth a reported £7.5m.
In 187 appearances for the Light Blues, the 25-year-old – who reportedly has a £20m release clause – has scored 31 goals and delivered 51 assists along the way.
Gerrard faces big decision
While McAvennie has questioned Kent’s work while out of possession, only five Rangers players have made more interceptions than him (three) in the Scottish Premiership this season, and only three of his team-mates have won more tackles than him (eight).
Also, with the attacker playing more games for Steven Gerrard (138) than any other manager under whom he has worked, it would be safe to suggest that he would be aware of what the Villa boss would want from him, in addition to how well the 42-year-old knows how to get the best out of him.
With all that in mind and with the January transfer window gradually approaching, Gerrard certainly has a big decision to make over whether or not he thinks Kent would be a suitable addition to the Villa squad and help his team to improve.
