Rangers boss Michael Beale would pull off a 'big coup' if he succeeds in convincing Ibrox duo Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos to pen fresh contracts, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Beale was appointed as the Gers' new manager earlier this week and he will be given the opportunity to freshen up his squad during the fast-approaching January window.

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Rangers transfer news - Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos

Kent is approaching the final six months of his Rangers contract, which is worth £18,000-per-week according to Salary Sport, and uncertainty over his long-term future has caught the attention of Premier League clubs.

It emerged, via the Daily Record, that Leeds United are keeping tabs on the winger while Aston Villa were also keen prior to Steven Gerrard's sacking.

Leeds have been long-term admirers of Kent and The Sun have previously reported that the Yorkshire side had a £10million bid turned down by Rangers in 2020.

Meanwhile, Morelos is also facing an uncertain future as his agreement, which is worth £33,000-per-week according to Salary Sport, expires next summer.

Sky Sports suggested that the striker agreed personal terms with Lille in 2020, while Portuguese journalist Bruno Andrade claimed Rangers wanted to sell the 26-year-old amid interest from Porto last year, but he remained in Glasgow.

Read more: January Transfer Window 2023: When Does It Begin, Rumours and Everything You Need To Know

What has Dean Jones said about Kent and Morelos?

Jones believes Rangers brought Beale in as Giovanni van Bronckhorst's successor as they wanted to improve their chances of keeping the likes of Kent and Morelos at the club.

The journalist feels the new Gers chief will be pulling off a shrewd piece of business if he manages to persuade the duo to sign on the dotted line.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: "I think this is part of the reason Rangers made the change of manager right now.

"They want to give their star players something to think about. They want to make sure that they're able to try and achieve everything that the squad is capable of. That's why Michael Beale has come in.

"It would be a big coup if he could convince one of those two to stay."

How have Kent and Morelos performed so far this season?

Rangers have gone into the break from domestic football sitting nine points adrift of arch-rivals Celtic, who are leading the way in the Scottish Premiership.

Kent has been struggling for goals since the season got underway, having only found the back of the net once in 22 appearances, according to Transfermarkt.

Although the end product has not been there as much as he would have liked, WhoScored statistics show that the 26-year-old has still been Rangers' third best performer in the top flight thanks to registering an average match rating of 7.32, emphasising that he needs to be kept at Ibrox.

Morelos, on the other hand, has been restricted to just one Scottish Premiership start and still got his name on the scoresheet three times, as per Transfermarkt.

According to Sofascore, the Colombian has averaged a goal every 105 minutes and it is clear that Beale should look to extend his contract.

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