Less than six months after Jose Mourinho’s arrival as Fenerbahce manager, ex-Liverpool winger Ryan Kent has terminated his contract as he seeks a new club.
Kent made the move to Turkiye last year, joining Fenerbahce on a four-year contract after half a decade in the first team at Rangers.
But his time in Istanbul never went to plan, starting only nine of his 18 appearances in his first campaign and just once this term.
The appointment of Mourinho as manager in June saw Kent drop out of contention entirely, with his sole outing for the former Chelsea, Man United and Tottenham manager coming in the qualifying stages of the Champions League.
Now, Fenerbahce have confirmed the termination of his contract by mutual consent, just 16 months into the deal he signed back in 2023.
The 27-year-old is now free to find a new club and has been linked with a return to Rangers, though reports in Turkiye claim he already rejected an unnamed Scottish side.
Lazio, Hull and Leeds were also linked prior to the transfer deadline, but it is claimed that Kent opted to stay and fight for his place at Fenerbahce.
However, Mourinho is said to have made it clear that the winger did not feature in his plans, which has now been confirmed with his contract being ripped up.
Kent spent 15 years at Liverpool having joined the academy as a seven-year-old in 2004, rising through the ranks to the fringes of the first team.
His development saw him take in loans at Coventry, Barnsley, Freiburg, Bristol City and finally Rangers, while he made his senior debut under Jurgen Klopp, starting in the 2-2 draw with Exeter City in the FA Cup in 2015.
That was his only first-team appearance for Liverpool, and speaking upon his permanent move to Rangers in 2019, he claimed he was “lied to” over agreeing a transfer.
“It was very tough,” Kent said, with there a delay in allowing him to leave Anfield as he was required during pre-season.
“I had to stay mentally strong, when you are told you can do one thing and then you are lied to and it doesn’t happen, that is quite hard to take.
“I just had to keep myself fit and train on my own and make sure I keep my fitness levels up and I was waiting for a moment like this to arrive.
“There’s no bitter taste, the thing that I wanted from the start happened at the end so I am just happy with that.”
