Rangers transfer news as ‘nonsense’ Leon King update emerges after talks
Stevie Clifford has said that suggestions that Philippe Clement will sanction a loan move for Rangers defender Leon King in the January transfer window are “nonsense”.
Reports emerged from the Daily Record (7 December) that the Belgian boss was willing to let the highly-rated 19-year-old depart Ibrox temporarily in January, as he was not guaranteed regular minutes in his first team this season.
King made his first appearance of the Scottish Premiership campaign as a late substitute in Saturday’s (9 December) 3-1 win over Dundee and Four Lads Had A Dream contributor Clifford believes there is no chance he will be loaned out this January.
Speaking on The Rangers Review (11 December, 22:18) he said: “I think Leon King, there some suggestions that he was maybe going to go out on loan, I can tell you having spoken to Leon and stuff like that, that’s an absolute nonsense.
“There’s no suggestion he’s going out on loan, he’s not going anywhere. The manager needs him for cover and he wants to push on and play in this team. He can play as a six as well.”
Manager needs him
When news broke that Rangers were reportedly willing to allow King to depart on loan in January, the consensus was that it was the correct decision to allow the teenager to get regular minutes in first-team football, but that has since been thrown to the wayside.
Having featured heavily last season, Clement will be keen to ensure that the 19-year-old’s career doesn’t stall as he remains down the pecking order, but it now appears as though he does have a role to play at Ibrox.
His introduction from the bench in the closing stages of the win over Dundee could well be an indication that Rangers supporters will be seeing a lot more of King in Clement’s side between now and the end of the campaign, especially if Clifford is correct in saying loan rumours are “nonsense”.
Who knows what the January transfer window will bring, but currently it seems unlikely King will be moving elsewhere and the 19-year-old may have to settle for a bit-part role at Ibrox.
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