Freiburg confirm Ryan Kent has returned to Liverpool after loan terminating loan deal

Bundesliga club Freiburg have confirmed they have come to an agreement with Liverpool to terminate Ryan Kent's loan deal at the club.

After signing a new five-year contract at Anfield, Kent left the club during the summer transfer window to join the German club on a season-long loan deal, a move encouraged by manager Jurgen Klopp.

The winger struggled for game time during that spell, however, having started just one league match for Christian Streich's side and making just six appearances in all.

Kent's lack of game time sparked reports at the beginning of the month that Freiburg felt the youngster had failed to live up to their expectations, with Liverpool hoping to find another club for their player where first-team opportunities won't be so hard to come by.

Those reports where given further credence when Kent was left out of the group that travelled to Spain for a mid-season training camp, with Freiburg confirming on Wednesday his stay at the club is now over.

"Both sides have hoped for more playing time, so we have met the desire of Liverpool for the player and an early termination of the loan agreement," Freiburg sporting director Jochen Saier said, Bild report.

Liverpool will now seek to find another club for Kent to join for the remainder of the 2017-18 season. The England Under-20 international shone at Barnsley last season where he won the club's young player of the year award and a return to the Championship could beckon with Bristol City and Sheffield United among the clubs vying for his signature, Sky Sports report.

Jurgen Klopp has hinted he is reluctant to allow members of his first-team squad to leave on loan for the second-half of the season, recently suggesting third choice goalkeeper Danny Ward could remain on Merseyside despite his lack of game time, but Kent will be backed to go out and continue his development elsewhere.