Rangers midfielder Connor Barron has completed a season-long loan deal to Championship side Middlesbrough on transfer deadline day, leaving Ibrox in search of regular first-team football after falling down Derek McInnes’s pecking order.

The 24-year-old, who arrived from Aberdeen on a free transfer in summer 2024, travelled to Teesside late on Tuesday to finalise the deal before the English window closed at 11pm. Middlesbrough moved for Barron as a defensive-minded option to bolster Kim Hellberg’s midfield, following the exit of Abdoulaye Kante.

Barron had initially preferred to stay and compete for his place at Rangers, even turning down a loan approach from Hannover earlier on deadline day, but ultimately accepted the switch to the English Championship as his opportunities would be limited under McInnes.

Rangers’ midfield has been heavily reworked this summer with Dan Neil, Vanja Dragojevic and Cammy Devlin signed, while Mo Diomande has departed for Turkish club Çorum FK. Nico Raskin remains at Ibrox despite the club looking to offload him.

With no European football for Rangers and McInnes playing with a two-man central midfield, Barron was deemed surplus to requirements as the club trimmed the squad.

Barron becomes Middlesbrough’s 12th and final signing of a busy summer, arriving alongside Brighton winger Amario Cozier-Duberry on loan.

Connor Barron joins Middlesbrough on loan as…