Rangers hatch 'contract plan' to deny Leeds United transfer

Rangers have reportedly come up with a plan to stop Leeds United getting their hands on one of their key defenders. The Whites have been linked with a move for left-back Borna Barisic this month amid a lack of depth on the left side of their back line.

Barisic is now 31 years of age, but he has emerged as a potential target, in part, because of his contractual situation. The Croatian is out of contract at Ibrox this summer, forcing Rangers into a potential decision. If Rangers receive an offer and they can't agree a new contract, they must decide whether to sell now or risk losing Barisic for nothing in the summer.

Not only that, but Barisic is already free to agree a pre-contract with any club outside Scotland already, and he will maintain that right unless a new contract is agreed. But according to Football Scotland, Rangers want to avoid any of those headaches, offering the left-back a new contract.

It's claimed the Gers have asked Barisic if he would consider signing a new deal, aiming to put an end to any transfer race amid reported interest from Leeds and others. A new deal could put paid to any move as far as Leeds are concerned, and the Whites may well need to get their hands on a left-back as they look to take the automatic promotion race all the way.

Leeds are still without Stuart Dallas, who hasn't played football for well over 18 months, leaving just Junior Firpo, while Sam Byram can also play on that side. Both Byram and Firpo have also had their injury issues, as Daniel Farke recently highlighted.