Neil Taylor is expected to leave Aston Villa this summer as he’s out of contract in two weeks and spent last season on the periphery after falling behind Matty Targett in the pecking order.
Nevertheless, the 32-year-old will need to be replaced ahead of next season and Football Insider tweeted a story on Monday that suggested Borna Barisic might be bought in his stead, leading to plenty of talk on social media.
Who is Barisic?
The 28-year-old joined Rangers from NK Osijek in 2018 and has gone on to make 112 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals with 32 assists. Barisic has been a regular at Ibrox and made 50 appearances across the board last season as Rangers won the Scottish Premiership title.
Villa are keeping tabs on his progress and were watching him in the European Championships for Croatia in their 1-0 defeat to England. Barisic had a hand in 19 goals last season, so he’ll provide a real threat in the final third if signed, but Football Insider say Arsenal and Wolverhampton Wanderers are also keen.
Is he worth signing?
Difficult question to answer. Targett hasn’t put a foot wrong in the last 12 months, so he’s likely to hold onto his starting place at left-back next season. It’s not worth signing Barisic to sit on the bench, even though he’s a good player. The Croatian isn’t likely to come cheap either.
In other news, Morgan Sanson posts video of luxurious pool and beautiful patio
