The defender has acknowledged that Leon Balogun wants to continue at Rangers but is still unsure if he will be given a new contract at Ibrox.
The center back’s deal expires in the summer, and while he has stated that talks have not yet begun, he is hoping that his outstanding performance in the 2-0 victory against Hearts, which secured a spot in the Scottish Cup final against Celtic, will spark conversations about extending his stay.
He would also prefer to know his future sooner this time, as he was unhappy with his 2022 departure from the club under Giovanni van Bronckhorst [The Beautiful Game Podcast]. However, with one month left until the campaign ends at Hampden, he is still in the dark for the time being.
According to Balogun, via the Daily Record (April 23): “I hope so.” Has my future been discussed? Not quite yet. I have no idea what will transpire. I believe the club will make those judgments in the coming weeks.
“Hopefully, I receive a notification a little sooner than I did the previous time! I’d like to think I can be fairly upbeat and mention that the manager picked me on Sunday, but I’m not sure yet, so I can’t really tell you.
Following his impressive display against Hearts, Ally McCoist declared the Nigerian international “undroppable,” saying that Goldson would now need to replace John Souttar in the starting lineup [Daily Record, 22 April].
Has the Rangers defender shown Philippe Clement how valuable he is?
Balogun would most likely be eligible for a contract extension if he were a few years younger, but the fact that he will turn 36 in two months seems to be making the club hesitant.
Though Philippe Clement won’t be persuaded by one outstanding performance at Hampden, it will be challenging to let him depart if he remains in the starting lineup through the rest of the season and plays at that level.
Given Goldson’s inconsistent play this season, there was a strong case to be made for Balogun’s return to the starting lineup before the weekend. However, the manager decided not to use Goldson at all following his February facial fracture, even though he had started him in all but one of the SPFL games in November and December.
Ben Davies and Leon King are also predicted to go on, despite the fact that it appears doubtful that Goldson will be leaving in the summer and that Souttar has finally made a name for himself this season.
Also, there is a lot of value in having a trustworthy veteran in the lineup, even though a deal to bring in Harry Souttar might be reexamined after it fell through in January.
Even though Balogun, Goldson’s senior, has played in much more games than the former, it can be argued that the latter has aged less thus far despite the passing of several years.
Furthermore, the elder man has shown his love for the Rangers, so even a one-year extension would probably be satisfactory.
GET MORE NEWS HERE
Be the first to comment