The Ryan Kent 'natural end' at Rangers that solves major Michael Beale problem as Burnley transfer talk intensifies

Out of contract Ryan Kent's Rangers career has come to a "natural end" - and Michael Beale should want him to leave to stop their reliance on the winger.

That's according to former Celtic defender Mark Wilson, who insists the departure of the £7million signing for nothing could be the best thing for all parties at this stage. The 26-year-old is approaching the end of his Ibrox contract and Beale had initially hinted that he would like to keep the winger at the club beyond the end of the season, having brought him through the youth academy ranks at Liverpool.

But speculation over his long-term future in Govan has ramped up with Burnley being heavily touted with an approach for the forward as Vincent Kompany prepares to take the Clarets back into the English Premier League. Wilson reckons Kent's exit could be vital for his career - and will force Beale to freshen things up this summer in the Rangers' frontline.

He told Clyde 1 Superscoreboard: "They have invested heavily in him. The transfer fee and what they have put into him in the years over the piece.

"He is most consistent this season at the level he is playing at - which is poorly - and he is inconsistency comes when he has a show-stopping game, which is very, very rare. It used to be the other way about.

"If you are getting that from a player and you are not getting a decent return on what you expect from him, it probably is time to move on. There is no point in saying to him 'we will keep him and hope because we spent £7million' because where do you draw the line?

"It has came to a natural end. I think the player need a refresh and something different to reignite his career, and I think Rangers need to stop depending on him.

"They just depend on him every week and