da roleta： There are no two ways of saying this; Borna Barisic has quickly become a valuable asset for Glasgow Rangers since the Croatian defender signed a four-year deal to join the 54-time Scottish champions in 2018.
What’s the word?
da supremo： After Steven Gerrard made it clear that his first-choice left-back wasn’t for sale amid Premier League interest in the summer, Barisic insisted he wouldn’t pay attention to any transfer talk as he is focused on stopping Celtic from winning ten in a row.
However, Gary Bollan believes the Rangers full-back could be heading for a club south of the border in the not too distant future.
When asked about Barisic’s future, he said: “It’s a big ask for anybody to come in and replace Barisic, because he’s the best left-back in the country and he’s the first pick for one of the strongest nations in the world, Croatia.
“If you’ve got the delivery he has, and the athleticism to get up and down the left flank like he does, then there’s no doubt that clubs in England will be looking at him.
“In England, a lot of clubs now play with their full-backs high up the pitch and if he went down there, he would be a success. I don’t doubt that for a minute.”
Bollan is not alone in praising Barisic’s performances, either, with former Celtic defender Mark Wilson impressed by his credentials.
Wilson said: “He’s the best left-back in the country. He’s improved his defending and supplies assists and is a threat at set-pieces.”
Keep him at all costs
Whilst Calvin Bassey has burst onto the scene after impressing so far this season, Barisic’s performances cannot go unnoticed. The praise flowing his way from fans and pundits alike will leave Ross Wilson with little room to gamble on his future amid links abroad.
In 13 appearances in the Premiership this season, Barisic has scored one goal and supplied four assists, whilst he is averaging one shot, one dribble and 2.1 key passes per game, as well as one interception and one clearance via WhoScored,
By comparison, even Bassey has only mustered 0.7 shots and 0.5 key passes per game, as per WhoScored, which just goes to show that it will be hard to find a player who can replace his volume of output for a reasonable price.
The 28-year-old’s current contract will run out in 2024, having signed a two-year contract extension at the start of this year.
However, Ianis Hagi actually earns more than the 15-cap Croatia international, which we can’t quite work out, especially when you consider the fact that he has played in every single Europa League game so far this season.
Once hailed as a “terrific” talent by Alex Rae, there is no excuse for dawdling when it comes to giving him new and improved terms, as the Gers must do all they can to try and convince him to stay at the club.
Simply put, they must keep him at all costs as he will likely have a part to play as they attempt to regain the title for the first time since the 2010-11 campaign.
Therefore, Rangers need to settle any lingering concerns by getting their business done as soon as possible.
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