There have been plenty of rumours linking Borna Barisic with a move away from Ibrox this January. And Alan Hutton has suggested that a decent sized bid could make Rangers consider things.
Here’s what he had to say:
“He looks a real talent, Gerrard and Rangers know that so they’re going to try and tie him down to a longer deal, that’s a priority, but if a decent size bid comes in, then I’m pretty sure Rangers would have to think about it,” said Hutton in the interview (Football Insider).
Interestingly, Gerrard has stated that contract talks have kicked off with Borna Barisic.
TIF Tactics – Why letting Barisic go wouldn’t be the end of the world for Gerrard
Barisic has played in an incredible 27 games this season, assisting 13 goals and scoring two for himself (transfermarkt.co.uk). It is clear that Barisic is a key player in Gerrard’s team. But, as Hutton said, the side would have to think about selling, assuming the right kind of big came in. According to La Roma 24 (via Inside Futbol), Rangers are asking for at least €10 million (£8.51 million) before the consider selling Barisic.
Rangers brought the left-back in for £2.20 million back in August 2018. If Rangers managed to sell for their asking price, it would be a huge profit for the Scottish side. It would also give them a chance to reinvest the money back into the squad.
Rangers have shown in the past that they are capable of recruiting ‘unknown’ players for cheap prices. Alfredo Morelos was brought into the club for just £1.08 million. Back in October, the player was valued at £20 million by Crystal Palace. Glen Kamara was also brought into the club for a measly £50,000 and is now being heavily scouted by English Premier League team Arsenal. We can almost guarantee any transaction between the Gunners and the Gers would massively eclipse that of the £50,000 fee Rangers originally paid for the player.
Do you think Barisic will be a Rangers player next season?
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Should Barisic make the move, it would be a massive blow for Gerrard and Rangers. Especially if he moves in January. But while the short-term impact would be large, Rangers have shown that their recruitment has been on point for the last few seasons. Barisic’s transfer would allow the recruitment team to pick up a few more class signings that will eventually become world beaters, just like Barisic himself.
At the end of the day though, Barisic’s absence would make winning the league a much more difficult achievement. Gerrard’s best bet would be to wait until the summer, after Euro 2020, to sell. If they play their cards right, and Barisic gets into Croatia’s Euro squad, they might be able to ask for much more than £8.51 million.