Ally McCoist declared the Nigerian international “undroppable,” saying that Goldson would now need to replace John Souttar

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.

Balogun stated, through the Daily Record, on April 23: “Hopefully. 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 hope to come across as fairly optimistic while discussing the manager’s Sunday selection of me, but I can’t really tell you – I don’t know yet.”

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].

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.
One impressive performance at Hampden won’t be enough to convince Philippe Clement but if he stays in the line up between now and the end of the season and maintains that level it would surely be difficult to let him walk.

There was a decent argument for Balogun to be restored to the starting XI some time prior to the weekend with Goldson’s form patchy this season, but the manager held off using him at all after the facial fracture he suffered in February, despite having started him for all but one of the SPFL fixtures through 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.

And while a deal to bring in Harry Souttar could be revisited after it proved impossible in January there is plenty of merit in keeping a dependable veteran in the squad. Despite being a number of years Goldson’s senior Balogun has arguably shown fewer signs of age so far, although the former admittedly has featured in far more games.

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