Rangers will pay Aberdeen a price of £600,000 for midfielder Connor Barron after an SPFL tribunal finalised the specifics of his transfer to Ibrox.
Barron signed a four-year with Philippe Clement’s side when he left Pittodrie on a Bosman swap in the summer. Rangers and Aberdeen were unable to agree on a compensation package in the weeks that followed and the Reds requested that a tribunal hearing was arranged to assess the sums owed.
The Rangers Review understands the sum has now been determined and the six-figure price has been set. As part of the SPFL process, all rulings are final and neither club can appeal the findings. Rangers are reportedly satisfied with the result after working with the process after their first offer for Barron was turned down earlier in the season.
When he appeared at Aberdeen’s AGM last month, Dons CEO Alan Burrows voiced his frustration at how long the problem had persisted. Additionally, he demanded a “better process” for players to transfer to teams in the same tier.
“This might seem like a cop-out, but we can’t talk about it too much due to SPFL rules,” Burrows stated. “However, I can tell you that the procedure has been very drawn out and time-consuming for both management and employees. I’m glad to state up front that the SPFL needs a far more efficient structure to provide this kind of service.
“Trying to deliver that shouldn’t take six or seven months. We anticipate coming to a decision on that rather quickly. I wholeheartedly concur that it has persisted for too long and ought to serve as a motivator for the league to improve.”
This season, Barron has made 28 appearances for Clement’s team in all competitions. Although he gained international notoriety for his early-season efforts, he has yet to make his Scotland team debut after making a name for himself with the Under-21 squad.
“It is important that young Scottish talents play a big part in the years ahead, and we are delighted to add a talented midfielder in Connor to the ranks at Rangers,” remarked Nils Koppen, the director of recruitment at the time and now the technical director, following Barron’s signing at Ibrox.
“We have faced him head-to-head on the pitch in recent years, and we think his diligence and commitment will make him a valuable member of the team.”
