According to the Daily Record, Nottingham Forest is not interested in signing Rangers left-back, Borna Barisic next summer, despite recent rumors. The newspaper reported on its website on Thursday that the Premier League side has no interest, despite claims that they could move for the Light Blues defender if Harry Toffolo’s five-month suspended ban is activated.
Initial links between Forest and Barisic surfaced on Wednesday when Croatian news outlet, Nogometne Vijesti reported that Steve Cooper’s side had entered the race for the 30-year-old, but it now appears that Dinamo Zagreb has the advantage in the hunt for his signature.
It is believed that Rangers are looking to finalize a deal with a defender to put an end to any speculation. However, there is still a possibility that an unconventional agreement could be reached to extend the player’s stay in Glasgow, only to allow him to leave later so that Rangers can still receive a transfer fee.
The Rangers need to make a decision about the future of Barsic as soon as possible. If they don’t, they risk losing a regular starter for free at the end of the season. Even if Forest is not interested in the Croatian international, numerous clubs in Europe, and potentially beyond, will be lining up to sign him as a free agent. Therefore, if the Rangers want Barsic to remain at Ibrox, they must begin preparing a contract offer in the coming weeks.
If Barisic leaves either during the summer transfer window or in January, Philippe Clement will have to rely on a relatively inexperienced duo of Ridvan Yilmaz and Adam Devine for his left-back options. Dujon Sterling can step up as a substitute if necessary.
Despite Yilmaz being signed for his potential, his performances this season have not been convincing enough to secure him the first-choice left-back position at Rangers. The club will need to decide whether they should buy a new defender who is better than what they already have in their squad if Barisic does leave.
As Clement takes charge at Ibrox, solving this issue should be a top priority on his agenda.
