Rangers keen to sell Borna Barisic amid reported official Trabzonspor bid
Rangers are reportedly keen to sell left-back Borna Barisic amid interest from Turkish champions Trabzonspor, according to Fotomac.
The Turkish outlet which calls itself “Turkey’s number 1 sports website” and has over 670 thousand followers on Twitter report that an official offer has been made.
Football Scotland had previously reported on 10 June that interest from Trabzonspor was expected to result in a bid, after they had watched him play a number of times on international duty, and that the club would want £4million for him.
The 29-year-old looks set to hold the back-up role on the left side of the defence as long as Nigerian international star Calvin Bassey remains at the club.
Interest in Stoke City’s Josh Tymon has been mooted, but movement towards that is believed to be dependent on outgoings from Ibrox and would cost at least £5million [Alan Nixon on Patreon].
The Football Scotland report had claimed both the Bears and Barisic were “relaxed” about a move, and The 4th Official on Patreon insists there have been no bids, yet the noise coming from the potential buyer’s side is very different.
Mixed messages
As with most negotiations the truth of the matter is probably somewhere in between the claims from both the Turkish and the Scottish media.
Unless the Gers are going to cash-in with a significant windfall for Barisic which they can then use to buy a replacement, such as Tymon, then it doesn’t make much sense for them to be that eager to shift him.
The mooted asking price for the Croatia international isn’t apparently enough to cover the fee for the Potters man, unless they have an eye on an academy product to step up behind Bassey.
Interest does appear to be high from the surprise Turkish Super Lig champions, but whether they can come up with the cash to tempt Rangers is another matter.
The status of 22-year-old Bassey is surely key to any movement at the position, because the fee he is sure to command frees up anything subsequently.
Barisic had an uneven season, as some of his weakest games came in Old Firm derbies where he allowed Hoops goals, yet he was still trusted to start key games including the Europa League final.
If the club have a cheaper alternative they believe they can rely on to be more consistent they may be jumping at the chance to shift the former Osijek player for a profit.
And if they are willing to put the whole fee and some into a move for Tymon they may see it as a worthy upgrade, but it would hinge on the Englishman’s willingness to potentially come off the bench.
In other Rangers news, the inquiry into the club’s 2012 sale is now set to cost the taxpayer over £100million.