Did Jurgen Klopp really say that about Ryan Kent?

Jurgen Klopp has both boosted Rangers’ chances of re-signing Ryan Kent while dousing them at the same time, after he highly praised Kent’s pre-season performances, but admitted team mate Harry Wilson was the big stand out.

Both wingers are desperately trying to prove themselves good enough to play for Liverpool, and neither are doing their chances any harm at all, but it’s Klopp’s comments on Kent which have been seized on by the negative media up north, while ignoring the rest of what the German manager said.

Speaking to Liverpool’s official site, he said:

“There were very good moments – very, very good moments, especially Harry.  They are good players. Ryan had sensational moments in the Sevilla game – one-on-one situations are his big strength. He is a wonderful kid, a wonderful player. Harry is as well.”

The fact he gave Kent significant praise is a negative for Rangers’ chances of bringing him back, but the similar fact he namedropped Wilson as the standout of the youth players trying to break through is a boost for Rangers – being second best in a promising group isn’t enough to break through at Anfield, you have to be the best of the best – and while Wilson himself probably falls a bit short overall, well, we probably thought that once about Harry Winks at Spurs and look how that turned out.

But the fact Klopp lavishly praised Kent is not the only part to this – the simple reality that Wilson is the one to stand out the most means he’s far more likely to achieve that slim hope of making it at Liverpool.

This story is likely to continue all through the summer so, unfortunately, this update isn’t the last you’ve heard on it.

*sigh*