"I can see Leeds moving for him big time" - Pundit reacts to Preston North End, Ryan Kent update | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer believes that the Lilywhites could sign Ryan Kent over other clubs in January due to a better guarantee of game-time

Ex-England international Carlton Palmer believes that Preston North End-linked free-agent winger Ryan Kent could be persuaded to join the club over Leeds United in January if he is given the guarantee of playing time every week.

The January window is fast approaching, and many Championship teams will have already drawn up a shortlist of players that they want to approach for a potential arrival in the new year.

Oldham-born left-winger Kent is seemingly a target for numerous clubs, particularly in the second-tier, after transfer journalist Alan Nixon, via Patreon recently reported that the Lilywhites had joined the race for his signature in the new year.

Kent is a free-agent as it stands, after he departed Turkish giants Fenerbahçe in October due to his contract being terminated via mutual consent, after he had been forced to train alone because of a falling out with previous coach Ismail Kartal.

He has since been linked with a move to Leeds United by Football Insider, while The Sun claimed last month that League One side Leyton Orient were aiming for a surprise move looking to bring him back to English football, with teams in Saudi Arabia also interested.

Carlton Palmer backs Preston for Ryan Kent swoop on one condition

Kent is no stranger to the Championship, having previously featured in the second-tier for Barnsley and Bristol City in loan spells from boyhood club Liverpool, and it was at the former where he struck up a strong working relationship with current PNE boss Paul Heckingbottom.

Heckingbottom was clearly an admirer of Kent, and gave him his first real break in senior football while with the Tykes, as the then-19-year-old played 47 times and notched three goals and three assists for the club in all competitions across the 2016/17 campaign.

He has since gone on to feature heavily in European competitions for Rangers, while he helped them win the Scottish Premiership in 2021, but his move to Fenerbahçe did not pan out, and he made just 19 appearances in 16 months in Turkey before his contract was cancelled in October.

Preston are set to face strong competition for his signature from Leeds in January, but speaking exclusively to Football League World, former player and current pundit Carlton Palmer believes that the Deepdale outfit could be a more sensible option for the 28-year-old due to the links with Heckingbottom, and the likelihood of more game-time.

He said: “Ryan has worked with Paul Heckingbottom before, they previously worked together at Barnsley in the 2016/17 season.

“There are a host of clubs chasing his signature. Obviously, having that relationship with Paul Heckingbottom will aid (Preston’s chances).

“He’s available on a free. Preston have obviously had a difficult start to the season, we all know there were problems at the club, hence why the previous manager left.

“Listen, Preston North End are at the bottom-end of the table, while Leeds United are chasing promotion to the Premier League.

“There are going to be a lot of people who are interested in Ryan Kent.

“He’s not one of those players that you look at and think, ‘Right, ok, he’s not got a club at the moment because nobody wants to sign him.’

“His contract was paid up, and he can’t sign for another club until January. He’s a different kettle of fish.

“I can see Leeds moving for him big time in January, depending on their injury situation and who’s coming back.

“With the clubs that are interested in him, you want to go to clubs that are up near the top of their respective leagues.

“But also, from Ryan Kent’s point of view, he wants to play, so it might well be that teaming up with Paul Heckingbottom, going to Preston and being guaranteed playing week-in, week-out would be a better option for the player.”

Preston need other positions more desperately despite Kent's pedigree

Preston have had a tough start to this season, and things do not look to be getting better quickly under Heckingbottom, with no wins in their last six games in league and cup, and 14 goals conceded in the same time-frame.

They sit perilously close to the bottom three, as a result, and while Kent sounds like a superb signing for any bottom-half Championship side, Heckingbottom's focus surely needs to be on bolstering his defensive ranks in January rather than signing a winger to simply add to attacking depth that is already underused.

North End's wingers have not really been given a chance to shine so far this term, with the former Sheffield United boss opting to play with a back-three and wing-backs, similar to Ryan Lowe, rather than a conventional four-at-the-back with wingers formation.

That means that adding Kent to compete with the likes of Jeppe Okkels and Josh Bowler in wide positions, who have each featured for just 291 and 350 minutes in all competitions respectively this season, does not make much sense unless a change in formation is on the horizon.

The 28-year-old undoubtedly has the potential to become a standout in the second-tier for the second-half of the campaign, and while his links to Heckingbottom and the north-west of England may make Preston an ideal destination, he would certainly need clarity over his playing-time and position in the team if he is to make the move.