The recruitment team at Rangers have a battle on their hands if Mirko Maric is to arrive at Ibrox this summer, as reported by The Daily Record.
It was claimed yesterday that Steven Gerrard and Mark Allen were considering a move for the £3m-rated Croatian 23-year-old in the upcoming transfer window after an impressive season at the familiar NK Osijek.
The club are said to have scouted the player on multiple occasions over the last few months.
However, it seems a number of teams from big leagues around Europe are keen on his signing, with the club itself also in a position to rebuff any advances, not yet taking a decision on his future.
As quoted by The Record, Osijek sporting director Alen Petrovic said:
There is interest in the player from many countries such as the UK, including England, Italy and Germany. Significant interest in the player is only to be expected when he is the top goalscorer in the league.
Any player of Mirko’s style would be a force in another country, but we don’t even know yet if we will sell him this summer or not.
I can confirm he’s an excellent player, an elegant number nine who is as comfortable scoring goals as linking up the play around him.
That’s all we’re willing to say at the moment. There have been no official moves made as yet and that suits us as we concentrate on finishing our season with a place in the Europa League.
Maric, who has won two caps with the Croatian national team, has scored 17 goals and created six assists in the top-flight this season, showing the kind of form that could make him a big hit at Ibrox and a potential long-term replacement for Alfredo Morelos.
Clearly Osijek are planning on receiving a significant fee for the player considering he still has three years left on his current deal.
That could make the potential transfer less financially viable than we’d like.
There’s good value in the Croatian market, but if other clubs enter the bidding then Osijek’s strong position on this one could mean it’s a deal to be avoided.