Search the Community

We all know we need another central defender & preferably one with the advantages of youth & pace on his side, so that we have the necessary sharpness & pace throughout the back line to not be embarrassed in that department in the Champions League where we're likely to be up against some of Europe's finest footballers. Reading the latest thread about Bougherra I got to thinking "what if we bring in another Algerian defender who Madjid already knows?" "an Algerian international?". After a quick scout I think I've found an interesting player:- Rafik Halliche is a 22 year old Algerian center back who in the Jan 08 transfer window, received interest from a number of French clubs, namely AJ Auxerre and Valenciennes FC. However, on January 30, he signed a four-year contract with Benfica & moved to Portugal. Benfica immediately loaned him to C.D. Nacional in their own League until the end of the season. He made his debut for Nacional just 8 weeks after signing, coming on at halftime in a 2-0 home league win against Leiria. Obviously competition for starting XI places is extremely fierce in Portugal & as a result Halliche only made 18 appearances for Nacional, although that's perhaps not too bad for a 22 year old center back on loan in Portugal's top league. So, my thinking with this suggestion is that:- a] He must be a very decent player as he attracted interest from a few big clubs before Benfica gave him a four year contract. b] He's been training & playing in Portugal for about 18 months now & will have gained considerable experience from that. c] He's only 22, but has 5 caps for Algeria. d] He could possibly be drawn to Ibrox by the prospect of playing with Bougherra and the chance of Champions League football. e] He wouldn't cost us too much in wages. f] If signed, he could be a player that has the potential to greatly increase in value. Is this a player that could slot into our central defense with Madjid & quickly forge a good partnership? Is it a player we could possibly even get from Benfica relatively cheaply? Any thoughts?

MADJID BOUGHERRA today insisted he can't wait for the transfer window to slam shut at the end of this month - to end speculation linking him with a move away from Rangers. The Ibrox defender has reiterated his desire to remain at the SPL champions for the entirety of this season despite being linked with a return to England and a move to France this summer. Bougherra has given the Light Blue legions his word he has no plans to jump ship at the last minute this month. He just wants to be allowed to focus on his football and prepare for the forthcoming campaign. He said: "I am happy at Rangers. I don't want to move. This is not the first time I have said such a thing. And yes, it will be nice for the transfer window to close so it is not an issue for anyone. I still have things in football I have to learn and we have the Champions League this season as well. I have never played Champions League football before so this will be a first for me. "It will be exciting to play against the best teams in the world. For me, it is very important to play in this competition. It will help improve me as a player and that is crucial if I want to better myself. "And Rangers are a massive club with fantastic fans. Look at the amount of them who travelled to London at the weekend to support us in the two games against PSG and Arsenal. That sort of backing means so much to me. "So I want to play at Rangers for another season and I'm looking forward to trying to help the club to further success." Publication date 04/08/09

PEDRO MENDES rejected a return to the Premier League in the last transfer window to focus on winning a title medal with Rangers. Now the dream of ending a five-year wait to return to the Champions League will keep the Portuguese playmaker at Ibrox. Mendes is getting a reminder of life in England's top-flight as Rangers take on Arsenal, Manchester City and former club Portsmouth in glamour pre-season games. But it's the chance to get back among Europe's elite which is driving the midfield star this summer. Mendes sparkled at The Emirates Cup in London at the weekend, but he insists he's in no rush for a permanent return south. He said: "The transfer window is still open, but I'm really pleased to be here at Rangers. "I'm happy with the way I have been treated by the club and really happy to still be here. "Yes, we have to get through August until the deadline is over and, in that time, anything can happen. "People can come in, people can move out - but these are decisions for the chairman and the manager to make. "I remember in January there was a lot of speculation because of the financial situation at the club. "People said we would have to lose players - but I said then I wanted to stay. "That was because I believed that I could be a champion with Rangers and that is what happened. "Now we have a big season ahead of us. We have a title to defend and we have the Champions League to look forward to. "I don't think my attitude has changed too much since January. It also helps when the fans are on your side. "It's always good as a player when you feel the fans are behind you. It reflects the effort you put into the team for them. "When things are going well it's great but, when things go wrong, there is another side to it and you need to be prepared for that. "The most important thing for me is I feel good at the club and my family is settled in Glasgow." Mendes has yet to play a European match for Gers after arriving in the aftermath of last season's disaster against FBK Kaunas. Advertisement His last experience of Euro action was winning the 2004 Champions League with Porto. He got a reminder of that contest when he faced a Paris St Germain side including Jerome Rothen and Ludovic Giuly - who were in the Monaco side which lost to Jose Mourinho's aces. But Gers were given a stark warning about the scale of the task they face in this season's Champions League when they were hammered 3-0 by classy Arsenal on Sunday. Mendes knows it will be tough and isn't expecting to repeat the heroics of Porto. But he remains eager to test himself against the best - and sample his first-ever Euro night at Ibrox. He added: "When I joined it was just after the team had lost in the Champions League qualifiers, so I have not had the chance to play in Europe with Rangers yet. ''It's something I'm looking forward to. In fact, the last time I played in Europe was in the Champions League Final for Porto against Monaco in 2004. "They had Rothen and Giuly as well as Dado Prso and Fernando Morientes. But we managed to win. "It's been a long time to wait for me personally and I'm looking forward to experiencing it again. "People keep telling me how special the atmosphere is at Ibrox on a big European night and I want to taste it for myself. The Champions League is something a little bit special for the fans and the players. "It's a break from the pressure of the SPL and it will be good for everyone at Ibrox." Rangers manager Walter Smith has made several changes since the last Champions League group campaign two seasons ago. He has added the likes of Madjid Bougherra, Steve Davis, Kyle Lafferty and Mendes to the squad. And the Portuguese cap believes the return to fitness of midfield sidekick Kevin Thomson will be like a new signing. Mendes added: "When Thommo got injured last season he was having his best spell. He was playing some terrific stuff at that time. "Hopefully his confidence will now come back. It can take some time to build that up again after such a long time out. "It will be great for Rangers to get him back as the player he was before the injury, or maybe even better." Smith pitched Mendes, Thomson and Davis into a new-look three-man midfield for part of The Emirates Cup. And Mendes reckons it was a worthwhile experiment as the SPL champions plot the title defence and prepare for a tilt at Europe. He said: "The 4-3-3 system gives us a little more space to play and it's great for me and Davo to have a more defensive midfield player behind us. "That gives us more freedom to get forward." http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2569471/I-cherish-those-big-nights-in-Europe.html

Falkirk and St Johnstone are in talks about the transfer of winger Neil McCann to McDiarmid Park. More...

For Charlton.....phew 12.00 Charlton Athletic have completed the signing of former Scotland international Christian Dailly on a free transfer. http://www.skysports.com/football/transfer_clockwatch

Blackpool could still make a move for both. http://www.blackpoolgazette.co.uk/sports-news/Belokon-jets-in-for-transfer.5502566.jp

Celtic manager Tony Mowbray says the signing of left-back Daniel Fox does not signal the end of his summer spending. More...

Norwich City sign Motherwell midfielder Stephen Hughes on a Bosman free transfer. More...

http://www.lequipe.fr/Football/breves2009/20090714_101429_bordeaux-vise-bougherra.html French newspaper suggests clubs are discussing transfer for defender. Rough translation: Bordeaux go for Bougherra - Rought Translation Madjid Bougherra is a priority for Laurent Blanc to replace Souleymane Diawara. Girondins are discussing with Rangers a transfer of the Algerian central defender, according to information acquired by L'Equipe. Bougherra, 26, is wanted on a four-year contract. On Monday, the two clubs were still discussing the terms of a transfer, the amount of which could rise to 6 million Euros. If the two clubs cannot do a deal, Girondins will look at Marko Basa (Lokomotiv Moscow) Michael Ciani (Lorient) and Kader Mangane (Rennes), but not Lillois Adil Rami (who is going to Marseille) or Mika�«l Silvestre (who wants to stay with Arsenal). Reply With Quote

Martin O'Neill and Jose Mourinho are battling it out for the �£10m signature of Jermaine Jenas, according to reports. GettyImages Jenas (L) has a tough choice, Inter or Villa? Villa boss O'Neill is also keen to land Scotland international Alan Hutton as part of the deal, but will face competition for midfielder Jenas, who he sees as an ideal replacement for Gareth Barry. Inter Milan coach Mourinho tried to lure Jenas to the San Siro in the January transfer window but Tottenham refused to let him leave. Harry Redknapp needs to raise funds to buy players and the Spurs boss is considering cashing in on the England international. Redknapp is still keen to take Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch to White Hart Lane and needs to boost his transfer kitty to do so. O'Neill has already splashed out �£12m in the last week to land Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing. The 24-year-old said it took him no time to sign: "As soon as I spoke to Martin O'Neill I knew I wanted to play for him. The ambitions the manager has are even bigger than I realised. "The first thing I asked the manager was 'Are these players staying? Because I'd like to play with them'. "His response was that the likes of Ashley Young will not be leaving because he is trying to build a squad." http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=662034&cc=5739

Wigan sign midfielder James McCarthy from Scottish Premier Division side Hamilton on a five-year deal. More...

Hamilton manager Billy Reid says the sale of James McCarthy to Wigan Athletic will help to fund his transfer moves this summer. More...

I reckon we might struggle if we do not bring any new players in as all big teams are buying players to add to there squads even if its bosmans a squad needs depth , and we seem to have lost a few players this summer but wont be replacing any a risky stratagy if you ask me , i know our hands are tied financially but we have freed up over �£50K per week in wages so surely we could afford to bring in a few players to boost the squad for an assualt on the SPL and Europe there are plenty of good players who are available on a free transfer just now. I know we will give the younger players more games this season which is fantastic but my fear is we will struggle for quality when it is required during the season due to injurys etc. Are things really that bad financially at Rangers ??? are we poorer than Hearts ? the Tims ? its so frustrating as its like we are the poor man of European football who has a everything must go sale every transfer window i would even say we must keep the likes of McCulloch and Dailly if we arent going to replace them. I am looking forward to seeing the youth get a chance at Ibrox but i fear we will come up short if we are drawn against the cream of Europe. Also i must add this has been the most boring and Frustrating post season summer ever for Gers fans i reckon. Roll on the Man City Game

WALTER SMITH has bluntly warned Rangers fans not to expect any new signings to replace Barry Ferguson. The 31-year-old completed his �£1m move to Premiership new boys Birmingham City on Friday, freeing up some �£25,000 a week in wages, but Smith confirmed last night that the Ibrox club are still in no position to bring in a replacement. "We'll not be bringing anybody in as it stands at the present moment," Smith said. "The transfer doesn't allow us anything like that. The chairman has spoken about the financial aspect. It's just something we have to adjust to. We've said we'd have to sell players before we can buy so we have to wait until a situation arises before we can make any judgment on bringing anyone in." One such eventuality which could free up funds for the Rangers manager would be a sizeable bid from either Bordeaux or Wigan Athletic for Madjid Bougherra, but despite fevered speculation in certain newspapers, Smith has heard nothing. "No-one has been in touch with us about Bougherra," Smith said. "I've seen a denial from their president, and I've seen another paper quoting him as being interested, so even he doesn't seem to know. But no-one has talked to us, which would normally be the first port of call." Ferguson's return to the Premiership four years after he left Blackburn for Govan is as neat a resolution as possible to the conundrum caused by the "boozegate" row and the final 12 months of the player's contract. Smith admitted last night his departure was the "best thing" for everybody, and tipped the player to be a success south of the border. "I think it is the best thing for both parties, taking into consideration everything that happened last season plus the fact he's coming into the last season of his contract anyway," Smith said. "He's a good player though, of course he'll do well. He's had the experience already although the last time he went to Blackburn he was hampered by a serious injury. But that shouldn't hide the fact he did well down there, anyone who saw him play at that time will tell you that. It's not another world of football. He's a good player and he can go and play in it." Who knows, maybe new signings are overrated in any case. With Celtic having already spent �£3.8m on Marc-Antoine Fortune, Smith would no doubt prefer to have a massive transfer kitty at his disposal this summer, but the Rangers manager still managed to speak convincingly of his hopes that the sense of continuity and new-found confidence around the younger members of his squad after last season's SPL title win can help them hit the ground running. Wheeling and dealing did Rangers few favours last season as they crashed out of Europe to Kaunas. "We have a younger group - Steven Whittaker and Kevin Thomson are typical of them - who are starting to meet the demands of playing," Smith said. "They are starting now to gain the necessary experience to impose themselves in games and I am hoping that can happen with a number of the younger ones like Kyle Lafferty and Steven Naismith. They have won a championship there and we have not lost a lot of players who played in that group last year. I would hope with the better level of experience that will help them greatly." The same sense of evolution rather than revolution applies to the even younger elements of the team, namely John Fleck, who Smith feels has made further progress since last season. "I would hope that John Fleck would step a little bit further forward," he said. "We are still talking about a young lad, but he got a bit of experience last season and like the rest of them I am hoping he can gain a bit of confidence from that. So although we might not have new players at the start of the season I think we have certainly got a group who will look forward to starting the season and hope that quite a number of them are coming into what I would look upon as the best spells of their careers." Having said all this, whoever picked Rangers' first home opponents of the pre-season clearly does a wicked line in black humour. Manchester City will arrive at Ibrox in early August having lavished �£85m of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed al-Nahyan's money on a combination of Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz, Gareth Barry and Emmanuel Adebayor, with millions more on the table for Joleon Lescott or even John Terry. "They may have two or three other signings by the time we play," Smith says, only half-joking. While the collapse of the Setanta deal, and stillbirth of the Old Firm TV plan didn't do Rangers' finances much good, Manchester City's wealth is above and beyond such mundane matters. "This goes beyond TV money in England," Smith said. "This is about wealthy individuals putting money in and the Premiership giving them the profile they want. They're obviously buying an awful lot of players and having a push at breaking into England's top four clubs. It'll be interesting to see how that goes. If you look at the clubs at that level just now, they're all solid enough clubs, there's a steadiness about them. "Mark Hughes did exceptionally well at Blackburn but people need to have the patience to allow a team to settle in," he added. "It's okay to buy a number of players, as he will do between now and the end of August, but they have to have time to gel and become a team. I think we will see them pushing to get into the top four - whether they get there or not is another thing. I think we might end up with five teams at the top. It's not quite as easy as saying We'll spend a lot of money and get there' but football has shown that if teams are well run and spend a lot of money, then they'll get a level of success." While Manchester City are collecting players, Rangers can't get rid of them quickly enough. Ferguson's departure, coupled with those of Brahim Hemdani and Christian Dailly may have freed up a total of �£50,000 a week, but with Charlie Adam prevaricating over a proposed move to Blackpool, the club are still three or four players heavy to reach the chairman's stated target of a slimline 20-strong first team pool plus youngsters. Having benefited from their depth of squad at the tail end of the previous campaign, Smith hopes that he won't be left too light when the injuries and suspensions kick in. So will the squad be big enough? "It depends how many leave," Smith says. For the moment at least, the player movement at Rangers will remain one-way traffic. http://www.sundayherald.com/sport/shfootball/display.var.2520783.0.0.php

In light of Johnny's thread which quote Smith as saying there will be no transfers in, would people be happier keeping star players like Boogie and going with what we have or selling Bougherra (or other) and using the funds to attempt to strengthen the squad? Edit: Can we pull off another Boumsong or Cuellar type deal?

Tottenham Hotspur have beaten Everton to the signing of both Kyle Naughton and Kyle Walker from Sheffield United. The two right-backs will join Spurs this month in a deal worth a total of Ã?£8m, despite Naughton having been a long-term target for David Moyes. The two players represent Harry Redknapp's first major success in the transfer market this summer ââ?¬â?? he is also pursuing Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Patrick Vieira ââ?¬â?? but the deal has left Everton angry. The club had been given permission by Sheffield United to agree personal terms with Naughton, 20, but that was withdrawn when Spurs offered a lump sum for both players and they have offered the option of loaning Walker, 19, back to Sheffield United for next season. There have been raised eyebrows in the game as to why Tottenham would need two right-backs when they already have the Wales international Chris Gunter at the club. Gunter, a promising 19-year-old who was bought from Cardiff City in January last year, is now expected to join Nottingham Forest, where he impressed on loan last season. Spurs believe the decision to sign both is justified because Naughton can play at left-back, but in reality he was only deployed there last season because of injuries at Sheffield United. He is expected to figure prominently in the first-team squad next season as Alan Hutton and Pascal Chimbonda will both leave if deals can be done. Spurs are confident that there is no interest in Huntelaar from Arsenal, whose priority is Marouane Chamakh at Bordeaux. Huntelaar, who joined Real Madrid for Ã?£19m in January, is available but Spurs will have to put together a competitive pay package as they are in competition with Stuttgart, who are in the Champions League next season. Spurs are still waiting to learn whether Internazionale will allow Vieira to leave on a free transfer.

A summer of discontent: As I whiled away the close season this weekend watching a rather uneventful stage 9 of the Tour de France, my brother exclaimed “I bloody hate the BBC, they never have any news about Rangers” whilst perusing their website. It is a complaint familiar to any Rangers fan reading through the numerous popular bluenose forums available to choose from in cyberspace. Almost as soon as Nacho’s stunning Cup Final goal secured the double, the achievements have been forgotten and Rangers have hardly graced the back pages since. The Scottish sports pages have been dominated firstly by Celtic’s embarrassing manager chase as we were told they secured their first choice man, after openly courting several other targets, and secondly by Mowbray’s attempts to rebuild a failing side. The lack of activity at Murray Park, at least as reported in the press, has many bears worried that we will not press home any advantage gained by last season’s double winning exploits and automatic Champions League qualification. One bear at least is not worried, at least not yet. The greater professionalism in not conducting all our business in public that Smith appears to have returned to the club, whilst perhaps frustrating to fans suffering through a quiet close season and eager for rumours, is reminiscent of the experienced manager’s first dominant stint in Govan. It is also worth noting that the need to strengthen the squad is not as pressing as it was last season, nor indeed as pressing as it is for Celtic. The Kaunas debacle and the refusal to splash the cash until it was too late have no doubt led to the current state of concern pervading through the support. For reasons never fully elucidated, we did not stump up the money for Davis nor other summer signings in time for the Champions' League qualifiers and the repercussions of that miscalculation will be felt for seasonss to come, on the bank balance, on the field and in European rankings. Thus, it is understandable that some fans are anxious over an apparent lack of activity in the transfer market. This concern is only heightened by the fact that Celtic have already brought in former Dundee United goalkeeper Zaluska and striker Fortune from Nancy. However, as previously alluded to, Celtic’s need is greater. They have the Champions League qualifiers to navigate - more perilous than ever under the current format - where they could get past the likes of Arsenal or Lyon to join us at Europe’s top table. Their qualifying campaign begins on the 28th of July and they will be eager to avoid the same fate we succumbed to last season. By contrast, our season does not begin until the 15th of August. We can afford to take our time in the transfer market. We do not need to rush into transfers. The transfer door only opened at the start of this month and there is still a long way to go before the competitive action begins for Smith's squad. Of course our reluctance to dive into the transfer market as of yet will also have been dictated by a meagre transfer budget and a need to get rid of the dead wood. Players we would like to see leave or who are out of favour with the manager will need to be moved on before we can bring anyone in. Ferguson, McCulloch and Adam are on decent wages and could bring in vital transfer funds. However Smith needs to trim the squad and the wage bill to keep our finances at a manageable level and so no one will likely come in before transfers out are secured. We are in need of a left midfielder who can cement a first team spot and a centre back to challenge Weir and Bougherra. We should not, however, be panicking and agonising over our lack of transfer dealing merely because our nearest challengers have already made moves to strengthen their team. Do not misunderstand that statement. I am not advocating any kind of downsizing by the hierarchy, or imagining we can afford to stand still. I am merely attempting to remind those frustrated by a lack of Rangers news in the gutter press that League success and automatic Champions League entry has given us a bit of breathing room this summer. We do not have to dive into transfers that may or may not prove shrewd business at the start of the transfer window. We have bought ourselves time and can afford to be patient in our business dealings. The excessive press coverage from the East End demonstrates the state of affairs over at Parkhead. The fawning on the BBC website of a routine victory over a poor Australian side was particularly embarrassing. The vanquished foes, Brisbane Roar, also fell to defeat against a Japanese Youth team earlier in their pre-season. Don’t let the summer heat aggravate you, nor the media’s reluctance to report on the Scottish Champions. Sit back with a nice cold drink and enjoy the upheaval over at Parkhead whilst Rangers again go about their business quietly. Look through the official site and the photos of the players returning for pre-season training and the fantastic shape in which the likes of Novo, Whittaker and Adam have returned to the club. Trust in Walter in spite of the silence emanating from the club. Remember the quiet, self-assured way the club conducted business prior to securing the SPL title at Tannadice and in his previous tenure at the club, whilst Celtic continue their public grandstanding much as they did prior to bottling the title fight this season. Thank the Lord Martin Bain isn't making crazy claims that Allan McGregor is the 'best goalkeeper in Europe'. Peter Lawwell certainly has had his share of XXXX this week! To conclude, there is still a lot to be decided this summer in the transfer market and the time to worry over the state of the squad for next season has not yet arrived. http://www.gersnetonline.co.uk/newsite/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=807&Itemid=1

Baz on the brink of Brum switch Jul 15 2009 Keith Jackson EXCLUSIVE Barry Ferguson was last night on the verge of securing a �£1.5million return to the Premiership. Record Sports understands the deposed Rangers captain was told not to join his team-mates at pre-season trainingyesterday after transfer talks opened up with Birmingham City. The move came after Brum boss Alex McLeish advised his board that Ferguson is now his priority target. The ex-Gers gaffer believes the 31-year-old former Blackburn star is still good enough for the Premier League and instructed managing director Karen Brady to shake hands on a fee with his old club yesterday morning. Ferguson was later sent away from Murray Park and told to stand by his phone. Although no agreement had been struck between the clubs at close of business last night Fergie is preparing to travel south today to undergo a medical and thrash out personal terms. The player's days at Ibrox have been numbered since Gers boss Walter Smith stripped him of the captaincy in April in the wake of the Scotland boozegate scandal.

Burnley sign Hamilton defender Brian Easton on a three-year deal. More...

Rangers are keeping an eye on Hamilton midfielder James McArthur with a view to a summer transfer swoop. The Ibrox club is also on the trail of Huddersfield's teenage keeper Alex Smithies. (Daily Star)

RANGERS have been given a huge boost ahead of the new campaign with the news that Kevin Thomson could start the season. The key midfielder was badly injured last November when he suffered cruciate ligament damage in his knee for the second time in his career. However, he has completely recovered and has been given the all-clear by a specialist to now work flat-out with the rest of the squad and will play in the pre-season matches. Boss Walter Smith said: "The specialist is very happy the way the injury has progressed and it means that he will now do all the work with the rest of the group. "It will obviously take him a little bit of time to get his match fitness up but if we can get him a number of games over the pre-season then he will be ready - if not for the start of the season then shortly afterwards. "I have said on many occasions that I felt he was starting to show great form just before suffered the injury. "It always takes a bit of time for young players to settle at a new club and that was the case with Steven Whittaker, Maurice Edu and Kyle Lafferty. "But they are all past that stage now and I just felt that Kevin was getting to the situation where he was beginning to influence games and hopefully when he gets back he will be able to start where he left off." Bit of good news to cover the dire lack of transfer activity.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/11/transfer-zone/2009/4/12/1183517/out-of-contract-players-in-italy-free-to-move-this-summer

English Championship outfit Scunthorpe set a club transfer record to sign Hibernian captain Rob Jones for an undisclosed fee. More...

RANGERS boss Walter Smith last night admitted every player at Ibrox is still up for sale - despite the club's �£15million Champions League windfall. The SPL champions return from a six-week break for pre-season training at Murray Park on Thursday. But in an exclusive interview, Smith has delivered a reality check by revealing the financial crisis that rocked Ibrox in January still hangs over the club. That means Gers will consider bids for any of their stars. And Smith admits he is also unlikely to buy big in the transfer market this summer. However, he refuses to be downbeat after watching his side claim the SPL title and Scottish Cup last term. And the Ibrox boss believes he. a side that will see off Tony Mowbray's revamped Celtic AND perform in Europe. He said: "What happened in January is still there. Every player is susceptible to a bid. "We told them circumstances meant we had to sell a player and we're still in that situation. "I know there's a feelgood factor after winning the Double but this doesn't go away. "Yes, it's far less of a problem than in January. But the problem most teams outwith the big leagues have is still at Rangers' door. "We know we won't have a big-name buy but we DO have a team that can be successful. "We've lost players likeCarlos Cuellar and Alan Hutton and still managed to get success." Former skipper Barry Ferguson has already been linked with Birmingham City. But Walter said: "Barry is the same as every other player. If someone makes a bid we have to decide if we accept it. Crunch "And we won't be spending a lot on players just because we're in the Champions League. We still have to be prudent." That sense of responsibility weighs heavily on Smith's shoulders - and it's a buck he refuses to pass. He said: "I get accused of being too close to the chairman but David Murray has run Rangers for 20 years and put in a load of money. "Every company in the world has been affected by the credit crunch. How can I go to David and say I need so many millions when there are consequences? "The level-headed fan will see it's an unfair situation to put the chairman in. I hope everyone understands why I won't ask." That reality hit home when Smith became aware losing the title last season would cost jobs all through the club. He said: "People have worked here for 20 years and suddenly you find if you don't get Champions League money they are facing redundancy. "It made the finish to the season as tense as any I have experienced. There was as much relief as joy when we won." http://www.sundaymail.co.uk/sport-news/scottish-football/spl/2009/07/05/walter-smith-every-rangers-player-has-a-price-despite-spl-title-win-78057-21495754/

Manchester United have refused to be drawn on growing speculation they are about to sign striker Michael Owen. The 29-year-old, who is out of contract, did not return for pre-season training with Newcastle after his deal with the Magpies ran out in June. One bookmaker slashed their odds on Owen, who has also been linked with Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke and Hull, joining United from 20-1 to 5-2. "We don't comment on transfer rumours," a United spokesman told BBC Sport. Any deal for Owen would be subject to the striker passing a stringent medical, which could take place as early as Friday, given his frequent injury problems over the last few years. I just question the injury scenario Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce The former Liverpool forward scored 10 goals in all competitions last season, although an ankle injury and groin operation severely disrupted his season. His last league goal was on 10 January against West Ham. Since losing the Champions League final to Barcelona at the end of May, the Premier League holders have sold forward Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for �£80m and failed to persuade striker Carlos Tevez to stay at Old Trafford. The departure of those two players has left United manager Sir Alex Ferguson with a shortage of strikers, with Frazier Campbell also likely to be sold. However, Ferguson did bring in winger Antonio Valencia from Wigan on Tuesday. United were also reportedly keen on Lyon striker Karim Benzema, who is set to join Real, while Bayern Munich forward Franck Ribery has been linked with a move to the Madrid club rather than the English champions. If Ferguson does capture Owen it would be reminiscent of his willingness to take a chance on players with either difficult reputations, such as Eric Cantona, or players that have suffered serious injury problems like Henrik Larsson. Even so, the move for Owen represents something of a gamble for Ferguson, given Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce ruled out a move for the striker given his injury history. "I just question the injury scenario," said Allardyce earlier this week. "I need a striker that's going to be available for 30 games next season. That's not happened for Michael over the last four years." After Newcastle were relegated to the Championship, Owen expressed his desire to remain in the Premier League. The Wasserman Media Group (WMG), the management company that represents him, sent out a brochure to a number of clubs reminding them of the talent that resulted in the striker scoring 158 goals in about 300 games for Liverpool and 40 goals in 89 appearances for England. 606: DEBATE If Fergie can get him firing again, (and if anybody can, the best man manager in the Premier League can) then we have got a real gem ogni strada No-one was available for comment at the WMG. Owen was widely reported to be earning more than �£100,000-a-week at Newcastle after signing a four-year deal when he moved from Real Madrid in August 2005 for a club record fee of �£16m, though his wages are unlikely to be a problem for the Old Trafford club. However, his time on Tyneside was plagued by injury problems, as he suffered a broken metatarsal bone, knee ligament damage sustained at the 2006 World Cup, as well as a double hernia operation and a thigh problem. The forward has made 79 appearances for the Magpies and scored 30 goals in four seasons. If Owen does move to Old Trafford it would revive the former Liverpool striker's hopes of resurrecting his international hopes and taking part in the 2010 World Cup. Owen has been marginalised by England manager Fabio Capello and has won just one cap under the Italian, as a substitute in the 1-0 friendly defeat by France in Paris on 26 March, 2008. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8131801.stm