Michael Beale has as good as confirmed the exits of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos following Rangers’ season-ending loss at Hampden to Celtic.
The manager, speaking afterwards, strongly suggested both players were to leave this summer, amid rumours that Kent is close to Burnley, Leeds and Turkey, while the Colombian may be interesting French giants Lille again.
Beale also conceded a lot of change is inevitable this summer, with a massive rebuild being required in order for the club to progress at all, but the big twist about Morelos and Kent was that the boss has not only admitted they will leave the club this summer, but they have indeed played their last matches as Rangers players today.
Ibrox Noise suggested both players were finished as Rangers players when they were removed from play, and Beale has agreed in effect that Kent and Morelos won’t don the shirt again in anger.
Which effectively confirms the ends of Kent and Morelos’ Rangers careers.
Beale has been tip-toeing around Kent’s contract situation by avoiding being too direct about his exit, but has hinted several times strongly that he was unable to come to agreement with the English winger, and the attacker will move on.
Well, today Michael Beale has taken that a step further by confirming that ‘possibly yes’, both players have played their last matches as Rangers players, and moving forward, now that the season is done for the club aside securing second spot and a Champions League qualifying place, there is no reason for either of them to don the Light Blue again.
Most fans will be sadly delighted with this news – the effort on both players today was next-to-nil, and it’s clear they wish their leaves to be taken now.
Kent had seemed settled in Scotland, but there’s only so much motivation one can have to face St Mirren every other week, and he needs something better. Same for Morelos.
Neither of them will ever get bigger clubs than Rangers, but they will get better leagues than the Scottish Premiership.
We don’t have any axe to grind with Kent, but we have many to grind with Morelos, and that is for another day.
As it is, they’re gone, folks.