Steven Gerrard has sent a warning to Ryan Kent, with the former-Liverpool captain hoping to keep the forward at Ibrox for the 2019/20 season while newly promoted Aston Villa and promotion hopefuls Leeds United are also keeping a close eye.
Kent has endured a rollercoaster ride, suffering a poor loan spell at Bristol City. A move that failed to give him the suitable game time to continue his development, the Championship outfit were fined for not playing him enough before a timely loan spell to Rangers reignited his career.
Gerrard hoping to lure Kent back to Rangers
Indeed, sweeping up multiple awards at the end of the season, Kent now has several suitors vying for his signature - a much rosier picture than just a year ago.
As per the Express, Steven Gerrard has made clear of his hopes around Kent's summer decision, suggesting a return to Rangers would provide the perfect platform for development.
"We loved having him here and we would love the chance to have him again because we think he can improve at Rangers," said Gerrard. "But the reality is that we have to wait for Ryan to make a decision and Liverpool have to think Rangers is the right place to continue his development."
"But it’s a complicated one because he is Liverpool’s player and they aren’t back yet.
"I’m sure Jurgen will want to see Ryan and where he’s at. We’ll go from there and we’ll respect Liverpool.
"But I can assure the fans we’re doing everything we can to try to get Ryan back. The key thing that people need to understand is that Ryan has got to want this.
"It’s all right the fans wanting him, the staff wanting him, myself wanting him. But it’s Ryan’s decision.
"He’s got to want Rangers, he has got to want to come and be successful at Ibrox. That is the question Ryan has got to ask himself.
Summer decision awaits for Liverpool winger
The 22-year-old has a £12million price tag and is therefore more likely to commit to another loan spell rather than a permanent move. However, Liverpool could well tempt him to remain where he is; Jurgen Klopp has a track record of enabling young players the chance to impress while other big names remain on summer break.
The Reds will also be crying out for more options to assist the front three next season, with Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane all enjoying relatively injury-free campaigns. Less fortune this year could land Liverpool in a huge spot of bother, and Kent could well be eyeing up a chance to get into the German's plans.