Ex-Hearts star Michael Stewart has questioned where Rangers have found the cash to bring in Ryan Kent.

Gers stumped up the big bucks to secure Kent, 22, on a permanent deal from Liverpool.

The Ibrox outfit previously appeared to accept defeat in their quest to bring their former loanee back to Glasgow as they'd been priced out of a move.

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Initially desperate to bring the player back on loan, Steven Gerrard and the Rangers board decided to push the boat out to land their man after Reds boss Jurgen Klopp categorically ruled out another loan.

A reported £7million price tag was slapped on Kent - which Rangers paid - albeit in instalments.

But having already brought in ten players over the summer and on pre-contracts, Stewart has raised the question as to how they can afford the player - especially given they'd already splashed out £3million on Filip Helander.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Stewart said: "If this was the guy they wanted to bring in then why wasn't it done before?

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"I know a lot of these things inevitably go to the last day of the transfer window but you feel as if it was all placed.

"He knew the club and clearly he was happy to go back to Rangers.

"Perhaps if you had signed Ryan Kent you wouldn't have signed some of the other players they brought in because they have signed a lot of players.

"The biggest surprise is this is after qualifying for the Europa League and still the message coming out was that this was going to be a deal that wasn't going to be able to get done because £7m is a big fee for Rangers.

"And I think, like most people, it's a wonder of where's the funds coming from for that?

"[Rangers have spent] £3.5m for Helander, £700k Edmundson, £300k Aribo and then £7m for Kent.

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"You are taking about £12m in transfer fees.

"Granted it's not going to be paid in one swoop but you are looking at the transfers that have been made historically with Pedro Caixinha and the wasted money there.

"Rangers lost £15m in their last accounts just under a year ago in November when they came out, so £7m is a big chunk of money and it's a case of where is that money coming from?"

We told earlier today how Light Blues director of football Mark Allen hailed the business done as "sensible" as Rangers negotiated a payment plan with Liverpool.

And he claims the move is a statement of intent to put Celtic and the rest of Scotland on notice.