Leon Balogun makes new Rangers contract admission at Hampden after Old Firm loss v Celtic
Rangers defender Leon Balogun has admitted he is still open to extending his contract at Ibrox following the Gers’ Scottish Cup defeat to Celtic.
The Nigerian defender returned from injury to play the full 90 minutes as Philippe Clement’s side missed lost 1-0 at Hampden Park on Saturday (25 May) with Adam Idah’s late winner the difference between the sides.
Although pundits and fans alike have urged the Gers to extend Balogun’s current deal at Ibrox, which expires next month, the veteran defender has suggested that no decision has yet been taken over his future.
As shared by the Rangers Review (25 May) he said: “We will see, first we have to deal with this defeat now and try to switch off a little bit.
“Then we will see what the next weeks bring. I stood here two years ago and opened up about how much I love the club and that hasn’t changed so definitely there is an openness (to stay).
“But first, I have to digest today first and then we will see.”
Will Leon Balogun leave Rangers in the summer transfer window after Celtic loss at Hampden Park?
Clement has already revealed that he intends to oversee a huge rebuild at Ibrox this summer, with a number of players expected to move both in and out of Glasgow over the course of the off-season.
While both Borna Barsic and John Lundstram seem destined to depart once their current contracts at Ibrox expire, there has been much less speculation around Balogun’s future over the last few weeks.
Clement is not blessed with much defensive depth at this moment in time, especially as speculation continues to circle over Ben Davies’ and Connor Goldson’s futures, therefore it could be wise to tie Balogun down to a new deal.
However, the Gers boss will be eager to get rid of as much dead wood as possible this summer to free up wages for incoming. Ultimately, it will be down to him whether or not he views the veteran as someone who can have an impact next term.
He has shown this season that he can still impress in the biggest games and it could well be an oversight if the Gers let his experience walk away this summer.
In other Rangers news, one BBC Sport pundit has torn into Todd Cantwell for a “senseless” incident in the defeat to Celtic
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