BORNA BARISIC knows he has a price on his head at Ibrox. Until he is told that a magic number has been met, his focus will be on his football rather than his future.
Barisic is one of the most sellable assets within the Rangers squad. At 29, he is in the prime of his career and he has international credentials to accompany his achievements for the champions.
The left-back is always going to attract interest and Watford were keen but fleeting suitors in the early days of the January transfer window.
That move ultimately didn't materialise. That has not played on Barisic's mind, though, and he won't listen to the rumours or the conjecture whilst his sights are set on more silverware.
“The situation is that I’m focused on Rangers like I always am when [people] are talking about transfers," Barisic said. "I’m focused on Rangers, that’s what is most important.
“I’m not reading newspapers and things like that but I have heard what I like to say is wrong information. Not all of them but a lot of wrong information. All the answers on my situation you will have at the start of February.
“You and I are in football, you know how it goes. If somebody comes and says £30million for Borna, I will not be here! Right!
“So I cannot tell you the right answer and maybe you will say that I lied.
“Only what matters is that I’m fully professional like always and fully focused on Rangers and our next game at Aberdeen.
“All the answers, like I said, you will have at the start of February."
Barisic remains under contract with Rangers for a further two years and any club that wishes to test Rangers' resolve will need to bring a significant offer to the negotiating table.
A handful of parties in England and abroad have been linked with the defender during his successful stint in Glasgow.
The latest interest was real. A move never looked like being on the cards as the man himself dismissed any doubts over his commitment to the cause.
Barisic said: "It was [genuine interest] yes. It has been. As I said, I don’t want to go into details now. I just said that there are a lot of rumours.
"That is a normal thing but I just want to say to people that there is always some wrong information. As I said to the answer about transfers about me, you will have it at the beginning of February
"How did I react? I said before that I don’t want to go into details. It doesn’t matter now.
"The most important thing is Rangers. I am 29-years-old, I am very experienced.
"I know what is this badge. You need always to be 100 per cent on the training, on the pitch. Without that it is impossible to play here.
"I am really focused on Rangers and that is the only thing that matters now. All the answers, one more time, will be here at the start of February."
By the time the transfer window closes, Rangers may well have a clearer idea of their aspirations for the second half of the season.
The champions return to league action at Pittodrie tonight and host Stirling Albion in the Scottish Cup on Friday.
The ambition is to prolong the unbeaten record under Giovanni van Bronckhorst and the winter break has been put to good use at Auchenhowie.
“Yes we worked of course," Barisic said. "We’ve had 10 days to work on some tactical things.
“But I cannot say we’ve done something you didn’t already see this season.
“We’ve just done some small changes and some small things. Of course, we’ve used very good these past two weeks to prepare ourselves for the next half of the season.
"You can see that the full-backs don’t have the same things to do like we did with Steven Gerrard.
“But it’s how the new manager wants to play and how he wants to have us positioned in the game on the pitch. I’m happy with that.
“It’s just part of the tactics. Every game is an another tactic. It’s not always the same.
“For me, I can go much more up and down, other times I don’t. It depends on against who we play.
“Of course, whatever I need to do I will do just to win the game."
One of the foundations of Rangers' recent upturn in results has been their defensive resolve and improved clean sheet record.
Just two goals have been conceded in nine matches as a consistency of selection has allowed Van Bronckhorst's side to build from the back.
And Barisic has been impressed with the part that Calvin Bassey has played as he has stepped into a central berth and deputised for Leon Balogun with real aplomb.
Barisic said: "I feel that responsibility. He is younger. He can play [centre-back] as you can see but he played left-back. So of course I try to use my experience to show him some things where he can improve.
"But also I want to say that he has played very well and I am very pleased and happy for him. He is a young guy who always wants to learn every day, always wants to listen to experience players.
"It is very nice to play with him and I think our clean sheets show how our defence has played, not only the back four but the whole team.
"One of the things is probably injuries and when you are up and down with the players, one game one player is injured and then he plays.
"It is hard to stabilise the back four and team but I think we have done that now. We have stabilised our team, our defence and it helps a lot to keep clean sheets and concede less goals."
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