Leyton Orient looking to beat Leeds United to shock target | OneFootball

Ryan Kent is believed to be on the League One side's radar - and they will be hoping to beat Leeds to his signature.

Leyton Orient are pursuing a shock move for ex-Rangers winger Ryan Kent.

This is according to a report from The Sun, who have stated that the League One side have made an enquiry in their quest to lure the player to the English capital.

Richie Wellens' side are currently battling at the bottom end of the third tier - and that may not come as a surprise to some - considering they have lost a couple of key men since the end of last season.

Orient saw Ruel Sotiriou leave on the expiration of his contract, which was a blow, considering he registered 12 goals and five assists in 47 competitive appearances during the 2023/24 campaign.

They also saw Idris El Mizouni leave the club following the end of his loan deal at Brisbane Road, with the midfielder doing enough to earn himself a permanent move to Championship side Oxford United.

With those players gone, the team being comfortably beaten 3-0 at Wycombe Wanderers yesterday and the club sitting just one point above the drop, there's plenty of work to be done in the coming months to get the team into shape.

Only scoring 11 goals in 13 league games so far this season, it's clear that they need more attacking firepower to give themselves the best chance of remaining in this division, but whether the current set of players can produce the goods remains to be seen.

If they can't, a potentially excellent signing for January could come to their rescue.

Leyton Orient join Leeds United in Ryan Kent pursuit

The O's, according to The Sun, have made an enquiry for Kent, who is currently a free agent.

The former Liverpool man was previously plying his trade for Turkish Süper Lig outfit Fenerbahçe, but they decided to come to a mutual agreement to terminate his contract last week, following a fairly unsuccessful spell.

This may have put a number of clubs on high alert for the 27-year-old, who has shown before that he can compete at a decent level and make a real difference, as he often did at Scottish Premiership side Rangers.

Orient may not be the only team in this race, with Leeds United still named as one of the player's long-term admirers.

The Whites have already used the free agent market in recent times to recruit Josuha Guilavogui, but whether they are prepared to make a second addition in this market remains to be seen.

Leyton Orient will hope that Leeds United don't enter the race for Ryan Kent

Orient could be a good destination for Kent on a short-term deal.

Under Wellens, he could establish himself as a real hero in a team that needs support, following a difficult start to the season.

If he can train with the third-tier side and then sign a deal from January until the end of the season, that should give him enough time to make his mark and prove that he should be competing at a higher level.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see Leeds join the race though, because Largie Ramazani's injury and Manor Solomon's fitness record will have caused concerns about the Whites' wing options.

If there's a crisis in this area in the coming months, Kent could come in and make a good impact at Elland Road.

Orient will be hoping that the Whites snub a move for the 27-year-old.