Rangers linked defender Aaron Hickey has agreed a £1.5 million move from Hearts to Serie A club Bologna, according to Sky Sports.
The Gers were linked with a £2 million move for the teenage full-back in October 2019 [Scottish Sun] and then credited with ongoing interest by the Daily Record earlier this summer.
Recently, though, it has looked to be something of a two-horse race between Bayern Munich and Bologna.
It seems as though the lure of first-team football in Italy has won out though, with Sky Sports claiming that a £1.5m move to the Serie A club has been agreed.
It’s suggested that Hickey will fly over in the ‘coming days’ to commence training with the senior squad, managed by Sinisa Mihajlovic.
Rangers linked defender Aaron Hickey agrees Bologna move – Verdict
It didn’t take long for the Gers to be linked with Hickey after he established himself in the Hearts first team, but it’s hard to tell at this stage whether there was ever any genuine interest in bringing him to Ibrox.
His ability to play on either side is a big asset but he was part of an extremely leaky Jambos defence last season and still has plenty of developing to do, especially physically.
Given that James Tavernier and Borna Barisic already have the full-back slots nailed down, it would have been nonsensical to spend £1.5m on a young player from elsewhere who would only block the progression of Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey.
For Hickey himself, though, it’s a fantastic move.
Bologna are an established club in one of the top leagues in Europe and the 18-year-old deserves credit for leaving home behind to test himself in a new environment.
