Jose Mourinho has abruptly terminated the contract of a Fenerbahce player just days before a clash with his former club Manchester United.
Fenerbahce announced the decision on Thursday night, a week before their upcoming match against United. Mourinho, who took charge of Fenerbahce in June, has been active in reshaping the team, securing a number of new signings, including loans for Allan Saint-Maximin, Filip Kostić, and Sofyan Amrabat, as well as a deal for Sevilla striker Youssef En-Nesyri and veteran forward Cenk Tosun on a free transfer.
Currently, Fenerbahce sits fourth in the league after seven matches, accumulating 16 points. Their next fixture is against Samsunspor, followed by the Europa League match against Manchester United at Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
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However, just before the United encounter, Fenerbahce announced that winger Ryan Kent’s tenure in Istanbul has ended after 16 months. The 27-year-old, a Liverpool academy graduate, joined Fenerbahce in 2023 on a four-year contract but managed only 18 appearances across all competitions last season. He fell out of favor under previous manager Ismail Kartal and had been removed from the squad in February.
Kent’s situation didn’t improve under Mourinho, who gave him just one start in a Champions League qualifier. Despite interest from other clubs during the summer, Kent remained with Fenerbahce, reportedly frustrating Mourinho with his refusal to leave, allegedly demanding full payment of his salary to agree to a transfer.
The club confirmed the termination in a social media statement, saying: “The contract with Ryan Kent, one of the Professional Football A Team players, has been terminated by mutual agreement. We present it to the public.”
Kent was close to signing with Lazio earlier, but the move fell through. He has also reportedly turned down offers from clubs in England and Saudi Arabia. Leeds United is among those known to be interested in the winger, who had his most successful period under Steven Gerrard at Rangers.