A report in The Daily Record has claimed that Roma’s recent attempts at signing Borna Barisic have been laughed off by Rangers.
The cause for hilarity is based around the Serie A side’s bid to get the Croatian international on-loan – for free – until the end of the season with an option to make the deal permanent if he performs well, according to the article.
Barisic has been one of Steven Gerrard’s top performer’s this season and as well as 13 assists from left-back he has two goals – both stunning free-kicks – which would’ve been three had the referee seen the ball a metre over the line against St Joseph’s way back in July.
It is a remarkable turnaround for a player who had, allegedly, been deemed surplus to requirements following a stop-start season last term and as part of the senior professionals who “embarrassed” Gerrard in the now infamous Liverpool under-23 friendly match at Ibrox.
Whilst that match signalled the end for Eros Grezda and Kyle Lafferty, Barisic saw it as a watershed and swiftly apologised to Gerrard for his performance, with a full pre-season under his belt he has been like the proverbial new player and is now one of the first names on the team-sheet.
Sky Sports pundit, Charlie Nicholas, was another source of amusement this week suggesting that Rangers would “cash-in” on a big bid of “£7-8m” without any reference to the £25m move that Kieran Tierney made to Arsenal in the summer despite Barisic outperforming the former Celtic full-back in almost every statistic last season.
The report in The Record understands that none of Gerrard’s key men will be leaving the club this transfer window, particularly ones that could see their value soar with participation in this summer’s Euro 2020 tournament and Barisic, as Croatia’s first-choice left-back, well and truly ticks that box.
Should Rangers let Borna Barisic go for less than the £25m Arsenal paid for Kieran Tierney?
Yes
No
Rangers will, at some stage, be persuaded to part with Barisic but it won’t be any time soon and it certainly won’t be for free in what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and possibly most important seasons in the club’s history.