Rangers are set for a defensive setback as an out-of-favour option has decided against leaving the club.
Leon King had been linked with a move to English League One side Wycombe Wanderers over the past few days, but it now appears the 21-year-old academy graduate will remain at Ibrox for the final year of his contract.
King is reportedly earning £8,000 per week, more than fan favourite and first team regular Hamza Igamane, yet he has been on the fringes of the first-team squad since Giovanni van Bronckhorst's departure in late 2022.
Reports suggest Wycombe's offer to the Scotland Under-21 international fell well below his current wages, and the boyhood Rangers fan is unwilling to take a pay cut and drop down south, even with the prospect of reuniting with former teammate Alex Lowry.
King made his Rangers debut at just 16 in a Premier Sports Cup tie against Falkirk in November 2020 and followed that with a league debut at 17 during the club’s unbeaten title-winning season under Steven Gerrard.
He added six more appearances the following year as Rangers lifted the Scottish Cup and reached the UEFA Europa League final.
In the early part of the 2022/23 season, a defensive injury crisis saw him become a regular, racking up 23 appearances, including high-profile UEFA Champions League matches against Napoli and Liverpool.
However, he struggled badly as Rangers endured a disastrous campaign, finishing their group with zero points and a record-low goal difference.
Since then, King’s confidence has never fully recovered. Over the past two seasons, he has featured just nine times.
A loan move to Queen’s Park in the Championship last season also failed to reignite his form. He was sent out on loan in March after making only five cameo appearances for Rangers and played nine games for the Spiders, who lost eight of those matches and conceded 25 goals in the process.
That stint suggests he is not yet ready for William Hill Premiership-level football, let alone the demands of playing for Rangers, which marks a stark decline from the days when he was being touted for big-money moves to Manchester United and Manchester City.
King now appears to be another example of how the club has mishandled its academy prospects.
He was a surprise starter in yesterday’s 2-2 pre-season friendly draw against Club Brugge at Ibrox but was badly at fault for the Belgian side’s opening goal and was repeatedly caught out for pace before being replaced by new signing Emmanuel Fernandez on the hour mark.
With no B-team to feature in this year and first-team opportunities looking increasingly unlikely, King must surely realise his time at Rangers is drawing to a close.
While staying for the final year of his lucrative contract may make financial sense, it could come at the cost of his development and long-term career prospects.
A loan move, ideally with a wage-split agreement might offer a compromise that gives King the minutes he needs while reducing the burden on Rangers.
Whether that materialises remains to be seen. Perhaps he still believes he can turn things around, but the writing is very much on the wall.