Andy Walker has recently drawn attention to Rangers’ handling of player contracts, specifically in relation to Borna Barisic, Alfredo Morelos, and Ryan Kent.
Walker’s criticism primarily revolves around the circumstances of Morelos and Kent’s departures from Ibrox at the end of the previous season. Both players left the club as free agents after running down their contracts in Glasgow. Rangers did not receive any transfer fees for their departures, leading to questions about the club’s transfer strategy.
Now, with Croatian international Borna Barisic approaching the final year of his contract with Rangers, Walker is worried that the club is on the verge of repeating the same mistakes. Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, he expressed his concerns about the potential consequences of allowing Barisic’s contract to run down without securing a transfer fee: “It doesn’t make any business sense to let him run his contract down and not get any money for him. It would be absolutely dreadful. It didn’t make any sense to do it with Morelos or Kent either.”
Walker’s argument is rooted in the idea that when a player has only two years left on their contract and shows no inclination to extend it, the club should consider selling them. This proactive approach not only ensures financial gain but also avoids losing valuable assets for free.
Support for Barisic’s abilities also came from former Livingston defender James McPake. McPake emphasized the challenge of defending against Barisic’s exceptional crossing ability, stating, “You can do all the preparation you want to try and stop the crosses, but he’s that good he’ll find a way to get it into the box.”