In a surprising twist, Leon Balogun is making a return to Rangers as the club seeks to reinforce its defense following an injury setback to promising youngster Leon King. The Scottish club confirmed that King, a teenage center-back, suffered a significant injury during their pre-season training camp in Germany. With the young Scotland Under-21 star facing an extended period on the sidelines, manager Michael Beale has turned to Balogun to provide cover and strengthen their defensive options. Balogun, the 35-year-old Nigerian international, played a pivotal role in Rangers’ triumphant Premiership campaign in 2021 and was instrumental in their run to the Europa League final under Gio van Bronckhorst a year later.
Having departed Ibrox in the summer after his contract expired, Balogun reunited with former Rangers assistant manager Beale at QPR. However, he is now set to make a return to Glasgow, with reports indicating that he underwent medical tests in the city yesterday as a free agent.
Balogun’s arrival comes at a crucial time, with the start of the Premiership season and Rangers’ opening Champions League qualifier just three weeks away. Beale is determined to ensure that the team is not left short-handed in defense, especially with first-choice center-back Connor Goldson still some weeks away from full fitness. John Souttar and Ben Davies are currently the only experienced options in that position, while summer signing Dujon Sterling is more comfortable playing as a right-back but can also provide cover in central defense.
The injury news is a significant setback for Leon King, who was hoping to build on a promising breakthrough season. The 19-year-old made 23 appearances last year, including six outings in the Champions League group stage. Rangers released a statement last night announcing King’s injury, stating that he suffered a contact injury to his ankle during the pre-season training camp in Germany. The club’s medical staff is attending to King, and further updates on his condition will be provided in due course. King took to Twitter to express his disappointment, vowing to come back stronger and thanking everyone for their messages of support.