Rangers must sell Filip Helander after Leon Balogun exit
It’s been a massive week so far for Rangers.
They have secured a long-term future for Connor Goldson and at the same time have allowed Leon Balogun to leave the club [BBC Sport].
John Souttar has joined from Hearts on a free transfer, and the Gers have a wealth of quality in defence.
If they manage to hold on to Calvin Bassey, Giovanni van Bronckhorst should look to offload one more defender to balance the books.
At the moment, Goldson is the first-choice at the club, while Bassey and Souttar are expected to battle for the second spot.
Then, there is Filip Helander and Nikola Katic. If these two are kept it could hamper the progress of Leon King. The youngster made quite an impression last season, and he is expected to feature more this term.
Six central defenders isn’t ideal, and Van Bronckhorst must offload either of Helander or Katic.
Katic was playing at a top-level before the Covid crisis brought to an end to the season in March 2020.
The 25-year-old picked up a freakish injury just before the start of the season, and it left him nursing a cruciate rupture which took almost a year to heal.
He regained his confidence after a spell back in his homeland with Hajduk Split.
Helander was in the Rangers squad last season, but he was in and out of the side with injuries.
With just a year remaining on his deal, Van Bronckhorst should make a bold call and cash in on him. He will be 30 soon, and it’s not worth taking a gamble.
On the other hand, Katic could be like a new signing for the club. He has the age and quality to impress the Dutchman, and make significant contributions if he stays on.
In other Rangers news, a teenage goalkeeper for the B team is set to be offered a new deal at Auchenhowie but he will be loaned out for the 2022-23 season.