21 goals and assists? This man can replace Ryan Kent for free…

With the loss of Ryan Kent, Rangers fans may feel the loss of six goals and 9 assists, albeit whether that is exactly value for the £10M Aston Villa wish to splash out on the 22 year old is another matter.

Rangers will be unable to match that, but looking at the numbers more closely, Steven Gerrard has a returning attacker whose numbers last season at pretty much the same level pretty equal Ryan Kent’s.

Greg Docherty comes back to the Hummel Training Centre this pre-season, and while he is not strictly a winger, his numbers tell their own story.

Kent amassed 6 goals – Docherty got 10.

Kent got 9 assists – Docherty managed 11.

Without putting too fine a point on it – for all his pace, trickery and apparent danger, the numbers reveal a different story.

True, an assist and a goal was attained against Celtic, but outwith that, League One in England isn’t a million miles lower than the SPL, if indeed it is at all. And Kent’s goal v Celtic was matched by Docherty’s v EPL Wolves.

What are we saying? In losing Kent at around £10M-£12M to Villa, Docherty may already be able to replace his numbers, if not necessarily his position.

But in saying that, the ex-Hamilton man’s versatility last season suggests maybe he would be perfectly capable on the wing – we can’t know he’s not, as yet.

But ultimately, do we actually feel Kent’s numbers justify a near-£12M pricetag?

Probably not, not when our own £600K man did the same business at arguably as high if not higher a level.