Connor Barron seals Rangers transfer as ex Aberdeen star snubs foreign interest

Connor Barron has sealed his move to Rangers after leaving Aberdeen on a free transfer.

The central midfield player had been attracting other interest from Italy and England but has snubbed the likes of Hellas Verona and Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle to make the move to the Dons' Premiership rivals. Gers had made contact with Pittodrie chiefs in recent days to inform them of their intention to register the 21-year-old as their player.

That's because the two clubs must now try to thrash out an agreement on a compensation figure. If Barron had moved cross-border, Aberdeen would have been due around £500,000 for developing him through their academy but that doesn't apply to move to a team in the same country. Instead, the two clubs must attempt to agree on a fee or otherwise take it to a tribunal where a panel would decide on the figure.

For now, the Light Blues are happy to have confirmed the signing on a four-year deal and manager Philippe Clement told the club website: “We are thrilled to welcome Connor to the club. He’s a young talented player with the right mentality who’s already gathered a lot of experience in the Scottish Premiership and in Europe."

Barron said: "I am absolutely delighted. As soon as I started talking to the club I knew that this was the place for me to come. Everything seemed right and I think it is the best place for me to be at this moment of my career.

“It is a club where the demand is high to win football matches and trophies and that is something that I really want to be a part of. It was a massive decision for me, but it was made easy by speaking to the staff and the manager and now I can't wait to get started.”