If a recent report from The Daily Record is believed to be true, Rangers academy ace Leon King is set to join Queen’s Park on loan for the rest of the season. The 21-year-old centre-half is seeking gametime and the Light Blues boss Barry Ferguson has sanctioned a short-term deal before the loan signing deadline.
Incidentally, the Championship side knocked Rangers out of the Scottish Cup a few weeks back. The dreadful defeat led to Philippe Clement’s dismissal a couple of games later, but the Spiders, stuck at the wrong end of the second tier, are aiming for a push to avoid relegation scare.
King joined the Gers as a kid and soon emerged as one of their brightest prospects. After making strides through the youth ranks, he was handed his senior debut in November 2020 as a 16-year-old. However, his minutes were limited over the years, except for the 2022-23 season when he went on to make 23 first-team appearances under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and later his successor Michael Beale.
Despite impressing in the heart of the backline, King failed to stake a claim in Clement’s plans. Despite being decimated with multiple injuries, the Belgian boss promoted Clinton Nsiala from the reserves, keeping the Scotsman as an unused substitute regardless of his senior experience over the years.
Why King Still Has A Future At Rangers
Meanwhile, Ferguson deployed James Tavernier in deep defence after they conceded twice against Kilmarnock early into the game. He took Nsiala off but brought in Ridvan Yilmaz down the right, shifting the skipper as a makeshift central defender. King’s playing time would further jeopardize if the Englishman continues to feature from the middle, and the interim boss, therefore, has made a wise call by allowing him to explore regular football.
Rangers have ample options in the defensive third with Robin Propper and John Souttar being the preferred centre-back pair. But they hardly played with each other due to fitness woes. Also, Leon Balogun, Neraysho Kasanwirjo, Dujon Sterling and Rafael Fernandes are there as the understudy alongside Nsiala and King.
Yet they must assess their defensive options in the summer window. Balogun, 36, is expected to part ways once his contract expires at the end of this season. Kasanwirjo, on loan from Feyenoord, has hardly been involved due to a long-term injury blow. Versatile Sterling is more effective as a fullback, and Fernandes, who only joined on loan from Lille in January, is way down the pecking order. Kasanwirjo and Fernandes could be sent back to their parent clubs upon the expiration of their loan stints, and an impressive spell at Queen’s Park might see King secure a fresh start at Ibrox from next season onwards.
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