Wolves and West Brom in transfer battle for Rangers player as he becomes 'appealing low-cost opportunity'
The has impressed during his Ayr United loan spell
Rangers centre back Leon King is attracting attention from Wolves, West Brom and other English clubs, as a six-way transfer brawl emerges to sign him upon the end of his Ibrox contract.
The English sides join Burnley, Coventry City, Middlesbrough and Portsmouth in the hunt for the 22-year old’s signature after a successful loan spell at Ayr United in the Scottish Championship, where he swept up in their Player of the Year awards. With his Rangers contract expiring at the end of the month, the half-a-dozen clubs interested would be able to acquire King for a small compensation fee.
In what was a poor season overall for the Honest Men, King shone at the heart of the defence, scoring twice in his 33 appearances. The versatile Scotsman is also able to play in midfield. Ayr have offered him a new contract as they hope to extend his stay at Somerset Park, but with so many potential suitors, a move south of the border could be on.
Out of contract King an ‘appealing’ prospect to English clubs
According to TeamTalk: “A key factor is the financial side of the deal. Because King is expected to move cross-border, TEAMtalk understands that despite still being under the age of 23, he would only command minimum compensation, making him an appealing low-cost opportunity for interested clubs.”
For Rangers to avoid losing King on the cheap, they’d have to offer him a new deal, however it’s very unlucky at this point in time he’d get in the starting XI. That being said, first team loanees, Nasser Djiga and Derek Cornelius will be returning to their parent clubs in the summer, while there is much speculation surrounding the future of the sought after Emmanuel Fernandez.
King showed promise when coming through the youth ranks at Ibrox and was given his debut at Ibrox aged 16 under Steven Gerrard. He also gained Champions League experience under Giovanni van Bronckhorst during the 2022/23 campaign when the defence was hit with multiple injuries. Before Ayr, he was previously farmed out to Queen’s Park in what was a less successful short term spell.
King on Ayr contract speculation
Despite the outside noise, speaking to the Ayrshire Post last week, King claimed his loan spell at Somerset Park had gone according to plan and wasn’t willing to rule out a more permanent move. He said: “This is what I needed – to go out and play consistently this season. The constant challenge of having to earn a spot in the team each week has been massive for me.
“I’m without a contract now so we’ll see what my future holds. But I’m definitely not shutting the door on staying here. I’ve loved it. The club has given me an opportunity to go and showcase what I’ve got and I’ll be forever grateful for that. So if something is on the table that is good for my future then I’ll look at it seriously.”
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