Why £8.5m transfer could end Barron’s career at Rangers

One of the biggest talking points whenever Glasgow Rangers appoint a new manager is what formation they will deploy during their time at Ibrox.

Danny Rohl, for example, played a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-2-2 for the majority of his time in Glasgow, but that is not a formation that Derek McInnes used frequently at Hearts.

The Scottish manager often used a classic 4-4-2 or a 4-4-1-1 formation with the Jam Tarts as they took the title race down to the final day in the Scottish Premiership.

Playing with two central midfielders instead of three places a greater emphasis on the players picked in that role, and that is bad news for Connor Barron.

Why Connor Barron’s days at Rangers could be numbered

Rangers hit the jackpot when they swooped to sign the central midfielder from Aberdeen for a compensation fee of £600k in the summer of 2024, as he has proven himself to be a useful squad player.

The Scotland international made 83 appearances in all competitions across his first two campaigns with the club, showing that he was regularly utilised by the likes of Philippe Clement, Barry Ferguson, Russell Martin, and Rohl.

Playing with two central midfielders and no natural number tens, though, could leave him in a spot of bother, as he is not outstanding offensively or defensively.

Barron is at his best when he can roam around the midfield, knitting plays together on the ball and being combative out of possession, which is why he suited playing as a six in a 4-2-3-1 for both Clement and Rohl.

He is not a specialised defensive or attacking midfielder who can offer genuine quality in a pairing in a midfield two, though, which is why the Scottish ace may not fit in under McInnes next season.

How Rangers could replace Barron

With Dan Neil and Cammy Devlin already through the door, Barron could find his career at Ibrox completely over if the club add another player in his position.

Now, Sky Sports reports that Glasgow Rangers do want to sign another central midfielder for McInnes before the end of the summer transfer window.

The outlet claims that the Light Blues are keen on a deal for Tromso central midfielder Jens Hjerto-Dahl and remain locked in talks with the Norwegian outfit, who it has previously been reported are looking for a fee of £8.5m.

Interestingly, the same report from Sky Sports adds that Bologna, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Lazio have all expressed an interest in signing Barron from the Scottish giants this summer.

Rangers could sanction a sale of the Scotland international to one of those three clubs if they sign Hjerto-Dahl, as the 20-year-old talent would offer more to the team in a midfield two because of his attacking quality.

His return of ten goals and six assists in 43 matches in the Eliteserien since the start of the 2025 campaign shows that the Norway U21 international has the ability to be a difference-maker in the final third from a midfield position, unlike Barron.

The £8.5m-rated starlet has also shown that he can provide combative play off the ball, averaging 2.5 tackles and interceptions per match in the Eliteserien in the 2025 season.

Barron, who did not feature in Rangers’ pre-season friendly clash with Kaizer Chiefs, can offer a similar level of defensive quality out of possession, but he does not provide the kind of attacking threat that Hjerto-Dahl can bring to the team.

The 23-year-old talent has scored two Premiership goals, none for Rangers, and only produced seven assists in the division in his career for Aberdeen and Rangers combined, which illustrates the lack of impact that he makes in possession.

Hjerto-Dahl’s impressive form for Tromso, meanwhile, suggests that he could offer goals and assists on a regular basis for the Scottish giants, making him a more valuable player for McInnes than Barron in a 4-4-2 system.

Signing the Norwegian youngster, therefore, could be the end of Barron’s career at Ibrox because he would then have Hjerto-Dahl, Devlin, Neil, Nicolas Raskin, Mohamed Diomande, and Tochi Chukwuani to compete with for two positions in the side.

Thankfully, for the Gers, there appears to be interest in the Scotland international and they could decide to cash in on him to ensure that he is not left sat on the sidelines next season.