When Leon Balogun left Rangers in 2022 there was a distinct sense of sadness about the exit.
The 46-times capped Nigerian journeyman defender had finally found a home in Glasgow and in his initial two years at the club was a solid and dependable, if not limited, defensive option.
The defender’s eagerness to stay close to Rangers was summed up by his presence in a Champions League qualifying crowd amongst supporters at Ibrox.
At the very least having the experience of Leon Balogun around the club has always been beneficial and there’s a feeling Giovanni van Bronckhorst made a mistake letting the ex-Brighton centre-back go.
The Dutchman certainly suffered in the Champions League as a result of major defensive injury issues.
But returning in the summer of 2023 under Michael Beale, there was a sense that the back-up option of Leon Balogun could help restore some solidity to a fractured and injury-ravaged defence.
The now 36-year-old centre-back probably didn’t expect to be given a lead role in the club’s title run-in.
But should Leon leave his mark on the side in the final five matches of the campaign, then it appears there could be a new contract on the horizon.
Clement: Balogun in discussion for new contract
Philippe Clement has been clear that the six out-of-contract Rangers stars currently ticking their deals down must wait to the end of the season before a final decision is taken.
Of the club’s out of contract stars, Leon Balogun is probably amongst the lowest earners.
Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Kemar Roofe, and Ryan Jack represent a more significant burden on the wage bill with three of the quartet, if not all four, surely destined for an exit this summer.
The final out-of-contract player Jon McLaughlin has been stealing a wage for over a year.
But come the end of the season the latest comments from Philippe Clement suggest that Rangers may well be looking to take Leon Balogun into his 37th year at Ibrox.
And we’re not sure whether this is a good or bad thing.
“Leon is somebody who showed every day the right mentality, the right passion for the club,” said Clement, as quoted by the Daily Record. “So that can be something that is on the table at the end of the season.
“But it is the end of the season that we can make a really good evaluation about everything and everybody. It’s going to be a very interesting period in that way for us to make the right decisions for next season also.
“To see how everybody trains, plays, behaves, works, shows resilience in the next couple of weeks because you want to be successful with this club so we need the right players in the building.”
No room for sentiment in rocky Rangers defence
A couple of weeks ago leading Rangers insiders Heart & Hand claimed that only one player of the sextuplet would be offered a new deal heading into next season.
There would not have been strong money on it being Leon Balogun.
But with Trabzonspor sniffing around both Borna Barisic and John Lundstram, and Kemar Roofe and Ryan Jack about as reliable fitness-wise as a prime Andy Webster, if one player is to be handed a new deal it looks increasingly likely to be the German-born Nigerian international.
Rangers have at times this season proven solid defensively but it’s been a shift in concentration as the pressure has mounted which has let the title advantage slip from our grasp.
Connor Goldson is now out for the season but the Ibrox vice-captain had already been dropped for Balogun in the weeks previously.
John Souttar is now the club’s most consistent centre-half and has a bombscare moment by the game.
The notion that Ben Davies could now come in from the cold despite not playing since December is verging on an insult to supporters.
It means that this summer will surely see some upheaval across the backline and perhaps continuing with Leon Balogun is not a bad idea.
But then again, there was a reason Giovanni van Bronckhorst moved the defender on two years ago and as the club once again threaten to fall short domestically, there can be no room for sentiment.
Philippe Clement’s job depends on it.
