Sources in Italy claim that Croat left back Borna Barisic is negotiating an exit from Rangers to Roma, with the 31-year-old now free to speak to any club about a transfer.

The left back, benched for the trip to Easter Road and an unused sub, has been long-rumoured about with his being out of contract in the summer, with Rangers’ board coming under criticism for letting a saleable asset’s deal wind down like this.

Indeed, manager Philippe Clement isn’t happy that players like Barisic have been allowed to get this close to the end of their deals for the club to lose them for nothing, and was vocal in criticising the decision-makers who caused this.

And now it could be that the ex-Osijek star is working on his ticket out of Rangers, with the Giallorossi looking heavy favourites to snap him up.

Precontract? January transfer?

We couldn’t know at this point, but from Italian sources, they appear to believe the lad would cost only around £1M to snap him up now, and in truth they’re probably right.

He might have a decent market value above £5M, but his deal is done soon and he’s the wrong side of 30, so he holds the cards here and not Rangers.

Barisic has been long-linked with Roma, going back years, and there is a sense if he is to leave Rangers, that’s where he’d go.

A sleeping giant down in the dumps at the moment, big team, just off the back of a bad patch under Jose, and now hoping to come back in the league.

Italian fans seem in favour of bringing Barisic in, and we’ll see if that’s what happens.

But Rangers will need to replace him first….