Borna Barisic: Trabzonspor among Turkish clubs keeping tabs on defender

Rangers left-back Borna Barisic has been touted with a move away from Ibrox over the last couple of seasons.

Multiple reports in Turkey claim that the current Super Lig champions are searching for a new left-back and that Barisic, 29, fits the profile desired by current coach Abdullah Avcı.

Trabzonspor are looking to strengthen their squad for their 2022-23 Champions League campaign. One of their left-backs, Tymoteusz Puchacz of Poland, is expected to return to Union Berlin after a spell on loan, leaving Avci light in that area.

Croatia internationalist Barisic, who joined Rangers in 2018 from Osijek, is currently on international duty and while he was unused in Friday night’s victory over Denmark, he played the full 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw with France earlier this week.

Two other unnamed Turkish clubs are also keeping tabs on Barisic, who was linked with a move away from Rangers this time last year.

Barisic has two years remaining on his deal at Ibrox and remains a part of manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s first-team plans. The Scotsman understands that Rangers would command a sizeable fee should they decide to sell the former Dinamo Zagreb and Lokomotiva player.

Barisic’s future may rest on what happens with fellow in-demand defender Calvin Bassey. The 22-year-old was one of the stand-out performers for Rangers last season, winning the man-of-the-match award in the Europa League final defeat by Eintracht Frankfurt. Aston Villa are among several suitors in the English Premier League and abroad for the Nigeria internationalist, who is valued upwards of £20million by the Glasgow club.

Borna Barisic: Trabzonspor among Turkish clubs keeping tabs on defender - but Rangers not willing to sell on cheap