Ryan Kent is back at Liverpool after his loan spell at Freiburg was cut short. The young winger was due to spend the season on loan in Germany, having signed for the Bundesliga club in August. But with first-team opportunities proving hard to come by, both clubs have taken the decision to terminate the deal. Kent made just one start for Freiburg and just 6 appearances in total.
Kent returned to Merseyside for Christmas and has been re-registered as a Liverpool player since. He was in line to feature for the Reds’ U23 side on Sunday, only for their Premier League 2 clash with Arsenal to be called off due to a frozen pitch.
The 21-year-old has come up through the ranks with Liverpool, having joined the club way back in 2003, signing at the age of just seven. Despite failing to make an impact in Bundesliga, Kent is still highly rated by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
However, going by the availability of a plethora of attackers at Klopp’s disposal, the young gun is expected to drop down a division in search of regular match action. Given that Kent barely played for Freiburg, Liverpool will be keen to get him playing regularly elsewhere, and a move to the Championship may well aid his development.
He has previously had loan stints at Barnsley and Coventry, so he has been schooled well in lower-league football. The Englishman shone at that level for Barnsley last season, making 47 appearances and winning the Tykes’ young player of the year award. Kent, an England Under-20 international, has also done well at Coventry City in the past.
Kent can go out on loan again though, and the Daily Mail report that Championship outfits Bristol City and Sheffield United have made offers to land him. Having spent last season in Yorkshire with Barnsley, Kent could be tempted to join Sheffield United, who are fighting for the playoff places under Chris Wilder.
Meanwhile, Bristol City’s attacking style under Lee Johnson, who pulled a rabbit out of the hat by knocking out Manchester United in the Carabao Cup quarterfinals, might be an appealing option for Liverpool. Despite having no shortage of options, Klopp and Kent will assess them over the coming weeks and will not rush into anything.
The Reds are considering letting several other of their promising youngsters out on loan as they need to gain experience. Cameron Brannagan, Ovie Ejaria and Ben Woodburn have all attracted interest from the lower leagues.
