Rangers have been linked with a move to bring Borna Barisic to Ibrox.
Osijek skipper Borna Barisic has been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that he loved playing at Ibrox – and hinted that he may be interested in a move to Rangers.
The Gers saw off FK Shkupi in their first Europa League qualifying tie, setting up a two-legged clash with Croatian side Osijek – and Rangers ended up prevailing.
Alfredo Morelos gave Rangers a first-leg lead with a fine header, before a 1-1 draw at Ibrox on Thursday saw Rangers through to the next round of qualifying and dump Osijek out.
However, one player may not have seen the last of Ibrox, as the Daily Express report that Rangers were so impressed with Osijek defender Borna Barisic that they are now looking to sign him.
It’s stated that Barisic could cost around £2million, and that would mean Rangers shopping in Croatia again after signing Katic from Slaven Belupo this summer – something director of football Mark Allen hinted at wanting to do in an interview with the club’s official YouTube channel.
The 25-year-old left back has made his name in two spells with Osijek having struggled during a move to Dinamo Zagreb, and he caught the eye of Rangers fans during his performances against Steven Gerrard’s men.
Barisic’s form for Osijek last season saw him earn a call-up to Croatia’s preliminary World Cup squad before failing to make the final cut, and he may well see a move to Rangers as a boost to his hopes – much like compatriot Katic.
Now, on the day that Barisic has been linked with a move to Rangers, the left back – who would allow Jon Flanagan to switch over to right back if he does arrive at Ibrox – has now been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that he was hugely impressed by Ibrox and would love to play there every week, hinting that he would be more than open to a move to Glasgow.
“The atmosphere was incredible and I was hugely impressed by Ibrox,” said Barisic. “I think when you watch it on TV, it doesn’t prepare you for what the noise is actually like. It was a real pleasure to play there. What fascinated me was the culture of the home fans to turn up in such huge numbers no matter who they are playing against. That would be weird for us, but quite normal in Scotland.”
“Who would not like to play every week in such an atmosphere? I’d love to play at Ibrox in every game. Even though I contributed a lot to our goal, I didn’t even celebrate it because there was no time left. Now we must concentrate on our league,” he added.
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