Ex-Bristol City man in five-team transfer battle as Everton and Leeds United hold talks

Former Bristol City loanee Ryan Kent is attracting interest from five Premier League clubs.

Kent - who had a less than memorable spell at Ashton Gate - has gone on to become an important player at Rangers but now a return to England could be on the cards. TeamTALK reports that Kent is in talks with Everton, Leeds United, Bournemouth, Burnley and Sheffield United.

The 26-year-old has got three goals and eight assists for Rangers this season - and is also said to have an offer from Turkish giants Fenerbahce. Kent was a key part of bringing the Scottish Premiership to Ibrox  in 2021, ending Celtic’s dominance under Steven Gerrard’s leadership.

Kent’s time in the West Country was a difficult time in the career of the former Liverpool youngster. He joined in January 2018 and made just 10 appearances and it was reported that because of a lack of game time - City would reportedly be fined more than £300,000 and since then no player has joined on loan from Liverpool. He got two assists in his first four games but struggled and was left out of the last six match-day squads.

Despite not being a hit at Bristol City, the man who brought him to the club has been happy to see him mature. Lee Johnson was manager of the time - and now he has got to see Kent at his best now he is in charge of Hibernian.

"I think he’s matured into a fantastic player," Johnson said to The Scotsman.

“When I took him to Bristol City it wasn’t ideal circumstances. We were flying, he had a few groin problems, he wasn’t the Ryan Kent that has gone on to have 150 games since.

“We just couldn’t get that consistency in terms of his starts and his games. But as with all my ex-players, I always keep an eye out for them and I’m obviously delighted for him and proud of his performances and moves.

"Whatever he does in the summer, which obviously looks like he's moving away, I think he will do really well. People talk about his numbers and this and that, but he puts teams on the back foot because he's so sharp and he's got that ability to turn, drive at you and go both ways. Any one season he could absolutely have a hot streak and score and assist at will."