Glasgow Rangers attacking midfielder Ianis Hagi made his return to action for the club in the comfortable 2-0 win over St Johnstone at Ibrox on Sunday.
The Romania international resolved the contractual issue that had seen him left out of the squad to start the season and came on for Ross McCausland at half-time.
It was a mixed half for the midfield maestro as he provided a superb pass for Vaclav Cerny to make it 2-0 before he was sent off for a studs-up challenge in the middle of the park.
At the time of writing (09/10/2024), Transfermarkt currently values the midfielder at €1.8m (£1.5m) and Rangers have hit the jackpot with a summer signing who is already worth more than the 25-year-old star – Connor Barron.
Connor Barron's value at Aberdeen
At the time of his move to Ibrox in the summer transfer window, the Scotland U21 international was valued at €1m (£838k) by Transfermarkt, €8m less than Hagi’s current value.
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That came after the central midfielder had made 29 appearances and started 24 times in the Scottish Premiership for the Dons during the 2023/24 campaign.
Barron, who also played six times in the Europa Conference League that term, showcased his combative nature in the middle of the park with 2.6 tackles and interceptions per match in the top-flight.
His passing did let him down at times, though, as he only completed 79% of his attempted passes for Aberdeen in the Premiership last season.
Connor Barron's current market value
At the time of writing, Transfermarkt has Barron’s current market value at €2m (£1.7m) and this means that his value has already doubled since the summer, and that he is now worth more than Hagi – despite being at the club for a matter of months.
The 22-year-old midfielder has already made 13 appearances for the Light Blues so far this term and, an error against Lyon last week aside, has been an impressive performer.
Barron, who was hailed as “very impressive” on and off the pitch by Scotland U21 manager Scott Gemmill last year, has caught the eye with his showings in the Premiership this season for the Gers.
Appearances
29
7
Pass accuracy
79%
91%
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.6
2.9
Clearances per game
1.0
2.3
Ground duels won per game
2.7
2.9
As you can see in the table above, the youngster has been far more reliable with his use of the ball for Rangers than he was during his time with Aberdeen last term, completing 12% more of his attempted passes.
He has also made more tackles, interceptions, and clearances per game to help out his defence, which suggests that the Scottish whiz has taken his game to the next level since his move to Ibrox in the summer.
That is reflected in his soaring market value, overtaking the returning Hagi, and that is why Rangers have hit the jackpot with Barron, as they have snapped up a developing talent who could have a huge future at the club.
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