Borna Barisic has decided to stay at Rangers, according to The Daily Star (via Ibrox News).

The lowdown

Former Rangers boss Steven Gerrard was reportedly intent on reuniting with Barisic at Aston Villa.

An £8million January move seemed to be on the cards as Gerrard seeks to upgrade at left-back in the Midlands - Barisic joined Rangers from NS Osijek in 2018 for a fee of £2.25million.

In January 2020, he signed a contract extension, ostensibly keeping him at Ibrox until June 2024.

The latest

The latest report states that after weighing up his options, Barisic has chosen to commit to the Gers.

There was 'interest from Premier League sides', but that hasn't tempted him.

The verdict

This is a huge boost for Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Rangers. Barisic is a key player at the club, having started nine SPFL league games so far this season and playing all but nine minutes of their European campaign (via Transfermarkt).

What's more, if you go by WhoScored data, he's been the team's third-strongest performer this term with an average rating of 7.26/10. Only James Tavernier (3.8) creates more chances per game than Barisic (two).

Barisic is an experienced international with 23 Croatia caps under his belt, including an appearance at last summer's European Championships. Team-mate Josip Brekalo regards him as an 'excellent' player, and his creativity has been a huge asset for the Gers, racking up 34 total assists during his time in Glasgow.

Gerrard, meanwhile, recognises that he's someone capable of producing 'magic' - make no mistake about it, this news is a big boost for GvB and co.

In other news, this trio struggled against Dundee.