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Pre-season training has started then and season 2010/2011 is now upon us. Are we really ten years on from the luxuries of the Advocaat era? A new decade it is then and comparisons with the money spent at the start of the last one certainly can't be made. No de Boer, Konterman, Ricksen, Lovenkrands, Christiansen, Miller or Flo arriving this summer as they did in 2000. Nope, no �£30million war-chests for Walter! Our financial cloth is cut differently now and the SPL is no longer a place for �£4million+ signings of rising continental stars or established Premiership talent. Instead, Ibrox in particular, seems to be concentrating on home-grown potential with a wage ceiling of an amount that doesn't appear to let us compete with our closest rivals across the city. Indeed, with Celtic being linked with a decent calibre of player (only the most optimistic of bears would argue Campbell, Ledley and Bullard wouldn't improve their squad) and Rangers being linked with, well, no-one of any real note; some negativity and panic is starting to set in across the community. When one adds the almost daily quotes coming direct from the club (not even from guessing journalists) that we are prepared to listen to offers for what seems any player, it is easy to get sucked into this whirlpool of trepidation. But let's look at the facts before we slit our wrists and write off our chances of a 54th title. I think it is pretty obvious our activity in term of players coming in is going to be minimal but as long as we don't lose any more players then we should still be competitive enough as new players will arrive eventually. Of course, if any key players do go such as Bougherra, McGregor or Thomson then that would be worrying but I'd still like to think we'd use part/most of any such income to bring in further replacements. Obviously Lloyds the wolf will want his share but reducing debt should be just as important an aim as anything else this decade. It would also be good to 'bank' some money for the rainy days ahead. Does this mean a Jos�© Gon�§alves is an able replacement for a Madjid Bougherra? Of course not but just how many Boumsong's, Cuellar's and Bougherra's can we expect to find year on year? In saying that, if our manager has one virtue it is that, as a former defender himself, he can spot a good centre-half and the former Portuguese under-21 international does have some untapped potential in the same way Bougherra had. On a Bosman he also fits our financial limitations while leaving any real money for much-needed creative players. Fortunately, sound-bites coming from Murray Park suggest the manager is more than aware where we need depth and improvement. Midfield and wide areas appear to be his priority and, despite the claims of fiscal paucity, I'm pretty certain we'll have our targets - affordable and interesting ones at that. After all, whose to say, we're not letting Celtic blink first so we know our opposition before we make our own purchases? I'd like to see new players brought in early to allow them to settle but if we save money by having to wait, then we may just have to be patient. I think it is pretty obvious I'm trying to be positive here but I'm also not daft. Recent times tell us our transfer activity inwards will be minimal while players will leave to accommodate the bank's interest. Nowadays that is a given. However, it is important to remember our financial situation is improving and we do still have a (albeit refined) squad capable of being competitive in the SPL. Furthermore, Walter Smith would not have signed a new contract just to be handcuffed again. It is easy to panic with the positive press speculation Celtic are getting (what's new there?) but as it stands they have only brought in a couple of average full-backs while they have lost five of their first choice players who played in the last Old Firm game and are looking to sell more. Have they really improved their squad? What are we afraid of in their team? Is Neil Lennon's undoubted love of their club and competitive nature enough to compensate for his undoubted managerial inexperience and mental fragility? Above all, the last ten years should have taught us Rangers fans to be resilient when it comes to off-the-field speculation. We're the champions here and we still have the best team. So, let's have a bit of balance and avoid getting caught up in a melancholy that has no merit as it stands. After all, even the financial excesses of ten years ago didn't guarantee league titles. Keep calm and carry on. :robbo:

From the Daily Express, worthy of its own thread given the quotes on our policy: http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/185245/EXCLUSIVE-Walter-Smith-wants-wide-boy-for-3-in-a-row-bid/ Seems we don't want any new strikers and we're concentrating on a creative players. Fair enough from me.

Disgusting!

BAIN says Gers want to keep Bougherra and Wilson More...

There have been reports that the Liverpool interest in Wilson has cooled due to the sacking of Benitez and with no other prestigious suitor he could be still a Rangers player next season while playing out the last year of his contract. He's refused to sign an offered three year extension and so as a young player, his transfer fee would be a fraction of what he's worth right now - probably around the 500k mark. This could leave room for a buyer to give him a large signing on fee or wage which could attract him to go elsewhere if his eyes are only on the money. However, I'm wondering that if say he plays 40 games for Rangers next season including a few in the Champions League, maybe winning a couple more medals in the process, how attractive will a decent English Premiership club be, considering he will be back to sitting and waiting on the bench for probably quite a while? Will the thought of more money than he can spend be enough to compensate for this, even though being a first team player at Rangers could accelerate his development and while being paid handsomely, he could be earn an even bigger move in a few years as a seasoned 21 year old with three years of regular, top class football under his belt as well as European experience? The current risk is that he could go down the same route as that young Celtic player who went to Man U (and was so successful that I can never remember his name these days - I'm sure someone will remind me once again) and then go on to relative obscurity, at best playing in the Championship or for a middling SPL club. Of course he could make it big down south but for risk - return it seems his best bet would be to play regular first team football for Rangers. The latter has shown far more success for a lot of young OF players. There have been many lesser players who have not made it at either end of Glasgow and drifted to the Championship or SPL clubs and even below, but I would say that was them gravitating to their natural level which would not likely have changed in the slightest by playing Premiership reserve football punctuated by the odd subs appearance for a top team. The likes of Bob Malcolm et al were never going anywhere salubrious, whereas Hutton did well for himself after establishing a place in the first team. So it's his choice, but I can't help thinking that an 18 year old earning hundreds of thousands of pounds at a club like Rangers while playing regularly in the first team, with advice and tutelage from the likes of David Weir, would be a pretty easy choice. Of course greed for greater riches now, changes everything.

The deluded ones now believe that wee McFadden will be joining them this transfer window , and also Stokes from Hivs

On the last day of the EPL season this year , from all the games with a starting total of 220 players only 32 were English and their clubs are about to embark on yet another transfer window plunder into the foreign market with Spurs leading the way with a �£28 million double swoop for Palermo's Simon Kjaer and Edinson Cavani , Spurs have denied this bid but admitted talks had taken place . Will they never learn

Rangers have dismissed reports that defender Madjid Bougherra has agreed a deal to join Hamburg. More...

"I have been watching all the games, but I am looking at teams like Australia, New Zealand, Honduras and teams like that to see if there is anything knocking about," said McCoist. I am not saying we don't have anything to spend, but any money we do get, we will have to spend very, very wisely" I'm still convinced that we won't spend a penny. The idea of us signing any of the dross who took to the field for New Zealand and Honduras, or one of Australia's OAP's, is about as appealling as re-signing Jerome Rothen

OK, so I was bored at work this afternoon. Here's a wee game for the summer, see how long it takes to get a full house this time round. Cheers, Mike.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/r/rangers/8737585.stm

With the season well and truly wrapped up, is now not the time for us to examine the role of Alistair Johnston, Martin Bain and Donald Muir (the enemy within) on the Rangers board? Clearly, there have been many who have been adament that he could not be trusted and as every single transfer window has approached, warnings of Muir-backed firesales have been stated as virtual fact only to fail to come into fruition time and time again, seemingly due to the heroics of Bain and AJ Looking back retrospectively, and baring in mind I held up a banner in protest at Muir 5 rows behind him, I think it would be a worthwhile idea discussing Muir in particular, but obviously appraising the board as a whole is something we should be doing too. More importantly, discussing what their objectives were, how succesful they were and also, how they've managed to marry his fiscal responsibilities as a business fixer with continued success on the park. The positives: Back to back SPL titles all be it he was only on board for the most recent one, wagebill cut to 10-15 year low, virtually no 'wastes of a wage' left in the squad. The negatives: The squad is wafer thin, the amenities within the stadium have been shambolic (big screens, catering, condiments etc, paintwork of the kiosks) potential loss of several out of contract players due to the length of time taken to amend bank business plan, takeover yet to be complete. Interested in input from all-comers here. Is it possible to praise Bain and AJ yet slam Muir at the same time? Obvious King and McGill are in there as well so all is up for discussion.

from RM reiterating what we always knew here. Serious question....what exactly was Smith up to and why, was he spittin the dummy because Muir was advising against giving him to much money to waste, or was he firing bullets for another takeover faction, whatever it was Smith owes Donald Muir an apology at the very least and the supporters an insight into his allegations. It's the evening of Saturday the 13th of February 2010. Placards are being readied; banners are being kept under lock and key, their contents a matter of whisper. Flurries of internet activity, text messages and phone calls being exchanged on an hourly basis, the preparations are nearing completion. A section of the Rangers support was ready to protest. The night before the day when lovers the world over are preparing to reach their arms around their significant others and remind themselves of the affection and love they have in their shared bond. In the world of Rangers, it was the eve of one of the most important games in the 2009/10 season. The midweek before, we had endured a stuffy draw with Motherwell leaving the supporters frustrated at not being able to capitalise on the hapless and deteriorating performances of Tony Mowbray's Celtic. Come Saturday however, Celtic drew with Aberdeen in an epic eight goal encounter leaving Rangers with the impetus to beat Hibs on Sunday and surge the club to a ten point lead over our greatest rivals and potentially onward toward a second successive league title. Purely on the football pitch, Valentine's Day was to be a pivotal moment in the season; however, this was also being echoed off the pitch amongst supporters and the tone was certainly not of free love blowing through the Govan air. Ever since the turn of the year there had been speculation brewing from many different quarters about the financial circumstance that Rangers was perceived to be in - swimming against a tide of debt, facing a future stripped to a skeleton. Forty days to find a buyer or face an existence on par with St Mirren was the whisper that became the 'news'. Troublesome noises were reverberating from a Scottish media with a taste of blood in their mouths; threads and articles were being scrawled with haste from commercially run forums acting as judge, jury and executioner, cynically you could say to profit from advertising hits; 'fan chiefs' were popping up on the radio to offer their views on the turmoil yet, the default position adopted by almost all Rangers fans was one of bewilderment and a genuine thirst to just be told the truth. Rangers were being portrayed by both friend and foe as a pauper on the street corner, crippled by financial pressures being ramped up by Lloyds Bank, waiting for its remaining possessions to be stripped almost personally by the devil incarnate; the so called "enemy within", Donald Muir. Donald Muir was appointed to the Rangers board without much fanfare in October 2009 and introduced as having "more than 25 years' experience of strategy implementation and business transformation activity internationally in a variety of industry sectors". He has a bulletproof reputation in the city as a turnaround specialist and therefore he undoubtedly had the confidence of the bank to make a positive impact on the club. He was brought in by Sir David Murray who at the time was subject to mounting rumours of a badly recession-hit MIH; however we were told publicly that he was not appointed by the bank and does not get paid by them. But of course that doesn't stop conjecture and speculation - after all, never let the facts get in the way of a good story. I digress; let's get back to the narrative. So there we stood in the few days running towards the weekend of Valentines day; staring into the void of uncertainty and muddied waters - with rumour of financial meltdown aided and abetted Lloyds with Muir cast as the treacherous puppet master. Pressures were being ramped up by media sources across the country through a number of mediums. Some of the Rangers support decided to get proactive. Tired of waiting for answers, a group of fans decided to get out there and make things happen for themselves and by proxy, for everyone else. A protest was hastily arranged. Despite reported investment, public relations at Rangers has been poor for a long time, there's no doubt about it. In many respects, the Rangers' Board deserved the Protest that was hashed together first over the internet and then by a thrown together steering committee with bears from different walks. Had there been a bit more involvement of the support, a bit more openness, a bit more clarity from the club, there would have been no need for the support to seek answers through these pound the street means, as these, to me at least, have always whiffed of the unwashed. The spreading wings of the protest could have been clipped with ease however, nipped at the bud. Our incumbent Chairman could have done the type of televised interview that our former Chairman was sometimes so adept at when it came to the crunch and he decided to pull his head above the parapet. But that didn't come. Johnston is the strong silent type and is almost always straight down the middle. Even a dampening official press release would have put some minds at rest. But that didn't come either. So the supporters decided that they had no other option but to take to the streets. However, somewhere along the line the plans for the protest became distorted, a machine gun style quest for answers from everyone, someone, became more focussed and Muir became the target once again for many. One of the Rangers forums going as far as to invoke a filter making the phrase "enemy within" automatically appear whenever his name was typed - their eggs were placed firmly in their basket on this issue. Message boards were awash with arguments about the motivation of the protest. Some arguments carried old baggage, yet most inquisitive minds just wanted clarity about what exactly the protest was aimed at, never mind what was going on at the club. Petty swiping became prevalent; with different 'camps' emerging with people who were for a protest and some that felt it was unnecessary. One the eve of the protest these camps were at a standstill, the protest was to carry on regardless, as was their prerogative and the people who thought it unnecessary got on with preparing to head to Ibrox to support the team as they did week in week out. However, it was at this precise juncture that two articles appeared on this website. One entitled "Rangers Protests ââ?¬â?? Donald Muir, the Saviour Within?" and another given the title "State of the Rangers - This is the truth, the whole truth, & nothing but the truth". In all honesty, the protest went largely un-noticed, all the bluster soon was yesterdays news; a damp squib with some predictable and pointless banners alongside some genuine and impassioned requests for clarity. One thing that did happen was that the authors of both of the aforementioned articles were immediately given treatment by fellow Rangers supporters that Muir had became accustomed to ââ?¬â?? their characters being sniped at from faceless internet assassins whose identities, allegiances and motivations were easily unmasked from behind their monikers. The "State of the Rangers" article contained the assertions of one of the staff members of this site and the information obtained was completely contradictory to the narrative that had been pushed by the media and by some factions of the dissenting Rangers support. In summary, this article pointed to the following bullet points of information: ââ?¬Â¢ Rangers will not be downsized next season and the bank doesn't run Rangers. There is a business plan agreed and the bank will be serviced with a repayment of Ã?£1 million per year towards reducing the debt ââ?¬Â¢ The budget for player's salaries will be the same next season as it is this season. ââ?¬Â¢ Contract offers have been made to Boyd, Novo & Broadfoot and, if they wanted to, they could sign them tomorrow. ââ?¬Â¢ If Rangers win the league and therefore qualify for the Champions League there will be a budget for the manager to strengthen the squad, but at the moment he cannot buy players until he sells to keep in line with the business plan. If we take a cursory look at the statements made in the press recently by Alastair Johnston, Martin Bain and Walter Smith since the end of this season - every one of these four key assertions has came to fruition. In fact, it reads much like a summary of the news that has came from the club in recent weeks. The million pound repayment was not news to some at the writing of the article as it had been outlined in the end of year accounts a matter of months before. The bank were, and still are, satisfied with this agreement; the doubts that this was not the case and that the bank were going to call in all the debt at once was only ever a rumour - hearsay designed to cause mischief and to worry our support when the facts of the matter were there for everyone to see. What of the budget for next season? Well an exact figure has not been outlined, presumably as there is no such thing as a fixed budget for Smith to work from. It's all relative - spend more on wages and new contracts, have less for transfer fee's and visa versa - common sense really. But in terms of a ballpark figure, Ã?£5 million seems to be the universally agreed banding that Bain and Johnston confirmed which is based on a percentage of the guaranteed Champions League monies. As predicted. For clarity; "We have agreed with Lloyds that we can spend some of the Champions League income and we also hope to maintain wage levels as they currently stand and reinvest any transfer proceeds that we might have." Martin Bain (26/05/10)

Just what the hell happened to that guy? Sat out the last year of his contract at Ibrox despite not playing a single minute of football, and has been a free agent for a year now. He could've been going to the World Cup with Algeria but clearly had minimal interest in playing football or he would've found a club even at a relatively low level Our CL qualifier against Red Star Belgrade was supposed to be his final game for the club before joining Osasuna on a free transfer but after we qualified, we then demanded a �£1 million fee for him and the move fell through. Did this incident simply make him lose all appetite for football? It's certainly a strange one

Rangers turn their attention to Maoulida to bolster their attack heraldscotland staff Share 0 comments 8 Jun 2010 Rangers could be set to take advantage of the financial crisis that has enveloped French side Lens, by signing experienced striker Toifilou Maoulida in a cut-price Ã?£500,000 deal. Reports in France suggest that the Ibrox club, in the grip of financial restraints themselves, have lined up a move for Maoulida to bolster their depleted attack following the departures of Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd. While Maoulida ââ?¬â?? who has previously been a target for West Ham United, Stoke City and Newcastle United ââ?¬â?? doesnââ?¬â?¢t quite carry the goal threat of Boyd, he is highly experienced and respected as one of the most colourful characters in French football. He has starred in almost 300 top-flight games for the likes of Montpellier, AS Monaco and Olympique Marseille during a 13-year career ââ?¬â?? with a goal average of one in every three games. However, itââ?¬â?¢s his goal celebrations that have brought him plenty of headlines with his own unique take on the ââ?¬Ë?message on a T-shirtââ?¬â?¢ routine. To avoid being booked for raising his jersey, Maoulida, who was 31 yesterday, started a new craze in 2005. While starring for Marseille against Nice, he tied a tissue to his shorts inscribed with thank-you notes to family, friends and fans ââ?¬â?? a celebration he has since repeated 39 times with a unique message each time. Signed by former Rangers manager Paul Le Guen for Rennes as a youngster, Maoulida ââ?¬â?? who is similar in style and presence to former Ranger striker Jean-Claude Darcheville ââ?¬â?? is keen to try his luck abroad and would view Champions League-bound Rangers as the perfect place to kickstart his career. Despite being Lensââ?¬â?¢ top scorer in a successful promotion campaign the season before, Maoulida found himself relegated to the bench for much of last term, but still scored 10 times in 24 games. He took a voluntary pay cut in the New Year as Lens were threatened with closure due to spiralling debts and is one of seven players the club have placed on the transfer list in an attempt to bring in some much-needed funds. In recent weeks, Rangers have also been linked with Portsmouth pair Tommy Smith and David Nugent, as well as Honduran World Cup striker Georgie Welcome, as they try to fill the void left by Boyd. Welcome, who players for Motagua in his homeland, is believed to be available for Ã?£600,000.

Andrius Velicka is hoping he can prove to Rangers manager Walter Smith that he can replace Kris Boyd. More...

Arsenal have been linked with a renewed bid for Lorient star Laurent Koscielny. More...

Andy Gray is still lauded whenever he returns to Molineux. The former Scotland striker bagged the Wembley winner for Wolves in the 1980 League Cup Final. He'll forever be revered alongside legends like Derek Dougan and all-time top scorer Steve Bull. But Gray believes reborn Wolves have landed a new strike star for a new era. Steven Fletcher sealed his record-breaking �£7million switch last night just a year after leaving Hibs in a �£3m switch to Burnley. Sky Sports pundit Gray says he deserves to stay among England's elite following the Clarets' relegation. Gray said: "Owen Coyle signed him last summer and Steven vindicated the decision very quickly. "Some people said it was a risk but I didn't think it was too much of a gamble. "In today's transfer market, �£3m isn't a big fee - even for a newly-promoted side like Burnley. "It was the biggest signing in their history but Steven proved he was worth it. "When you go from Scotland to England, you want to make a big impact. "My memories of my own move - a long time ago - are of being determined to show people I could play. You want to prove to everyone that you can do south of the border what you did north of the border. "Steven's performances for Burnley last season have upped the ante now. "The transfer fee has also put him on the radar far more than he was, but I'm sure the move will be something he relishes." Just 12 months ago, Fletcher was a �£3,000-a- week SPL striker with Hibs. His career was transformed after Coyle forked out �£3m to take him south. The 23-year-old bagged 13 goals last term. It wasn't enough to save the Clarets from an instant return to the Championship. But the Scotland striker's sparkling form was sufficient to ensure he'll stay in the top flight with Mick McCarthy fighting off the likes of West Ham, Stoke and Birmingham for his coveted signature. The fee makes Fletch the second most expensive Scottish striker of all-time behind Duncan Ferguson. It eclipses Wolves' club record signing of Republic of Ireland international striker Kevin Doyle. And according to former Rangers ace Gray, it ensures he'll be a marked man when he pulls on the famous Old Gold strip next season. He said: "The fact Steven scored goals in the Premier League and won this move will make people sit up and take notice. It'll also make defenders sit up and pay closer attention to him next season. "He'll be under more pressure to produce the goods now Wolves have bought him for so much money. "But I don't think Steven will see that as something to worry about. "I'm sure he'll just view it as a new challenge which he'll enjoy. "He has done alright since he came down to England. "It's never easy coming from Scotland into the Premier League. "And it's certainly not easy coming into a struggling side. "But he has impressed people and his goals tally was good for a first season. "In fact, given Burnley were in their first season in the top flight it's a very good tally indeed." Hibs will land a �£1m bonanza with chairman Rod Petrie inserting a clause into the original sale which sees them bank 25 per cent of any fee in excess of the �£3m they received from Burnley. Fletcher's development curve has been impressive since his big breakthrough at Easter Road. He scored a double in the 5-1 League Cup Final win over Kilmarnock in 2007. He made his Scotland debut against Croatia on his 21st birthday in 2008. Advertisement Quantcast Last year he got his big move to Burnley and now Fletch, who has seven caps, has seen his earning power rocket to �£30,000-plus a week. Gray said: "Burnley have a fantastic history but, for me, Wolves is a bigger club. "They have a purpose-built stadium which seats 35,000 - almost twice what Burnley get at Turf Moor. "Wolves have been up and down in recent years and until this year they hadn't managed to stay in the top flight. "But now they seem able to invest some cash in the squad in a bid to really consolidate in the Premier League. "The owners are happy that Mick has kept them up and are giving him a few bob to invest. "He's spent �£7m on a frontman and I don't think it'll prove to be bad business." Gray had a four-year spell at Molineux after his �£1m switch from Aston Villa in 1979. He spent every season in the top tier of the English game and would love to see Fletcher help Wolves back into the top ten. He said: "Unless you have the spending ability of Manchester City or Tottenham, it's very difficult to challenge for the top four. "But if Wolves could consistently reach the top ten, it would be incredible progress and a huge success story." But could Fletcher emulate Gray by bagging a cup final winner for Wolves? Gray said: "I would never say it's unachievable for any Premier League team to win the League Cup. "You need a little more luck to win the FA Cup but if Portsmouth can win it then get back to another final, there's always a possibility." Read more: http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/sport/spl/2999331/7m-Fletcher-can-be-Molineux-great.html#ixzz0ps6WlcHB

Neil Alexander has pledged his commitment to Rangers and is ready to sign a new deal with the club. More...

Gers plan swoop for former Don EXCLUSIVE By Ron Scott LEE MILLER is poised for a surprise transfer to Rangers. Although the 27-year-old striker has struggled to make an impact since joining Middlesbrough from Aberdeen in January, Walter Smithâ��s admiration for the player has not waned. With the Light Blues manager admitting heâ��s no chance of keeping record-scorer Kris Boyd, Miller is already on the radar to become his first signing for almost two years. The three-times-capped Miller has previously played for Falkirk, Bristol City, Hearts, Dundee United and Aberdeen, with over �£1 million changing hands. Middlesbrough manager Gordon Strachan landed him for just �£500,000 at the end of the winter transfer window, due to the fact his contract only had a few months remaining. Miller has never been a prolific scorer, and is a completely different type of player to Boyd. But Smith views his aerial power and link-up play as attributes to form a strong partnership with existing striker Kenny Miller. Smith first tried to sign his target from Aberdeen two years ago, not long after Rangers lost the UEFA Cup Final to Zenit St Petersburg. But he was 24 hours too late. By the time Smith made his move, Miller had signed a new contract and Rangers didnâ��t have the money for a transfer fee. With Miller unlikely to cost any more than Middlesbrough paid for him, Rangers are now in a position to stump up after striking a new deal with Lloydsâ�� Bank a few days ago. Craig Conway is also on Rangersâ�� radar. But the Dundee United winger is still under contract and United will require more than �£500,000 before they are tempted to sell. The Ibrox boss has long bemoaned the fact he doesnâ��t have a natural winger. Instead heâ��s had to use Steve Davis, Stevie Naismith and Kyle Lafferty out wide when this is clearly not their natural position.

Rangers have joined the Bosman scramble for Cardiff City midfielder Joe Ledley. The Scottish Sun says Ledley, 23, will quit the Bluebirds following their defeat to Blackpool in Saturday's Championship play-off final. A host of Premier League clubs, led by Europa League finalists Fulham, are set to pounce for the highly-rated playmaker. Rangers boss Walter Smith is a huge admirer of the 27-times capped midfielder and is prepared to make him one of his highest earners at Ibrox. Long-time admirers Wigan made a whopping �£8.2m bid in January which was immediately rejected by the Bluebirds. But that written offer means clubs in England would face a transfer tribunal to sign him - with his market value down in black and white. West Ham, Stoke City and Blackburn Rovers are all also monitoring Ledley's situation, but fear being stung with a massive transfer fee. Gers, on the other hand, would not have to pay a penny to land him as Ledley is still only 23 and can move across the border with no fee going to Cardiff.

A player similar to Boyd who seems to have found his level. I doubt whether Beckford is good enough to knock in 15-20 goals a season for Everton in the EPL just like I doubt whether Boyd is good enough to score 15-20 goals in the EPL for Birmingham as an example.

The Turkish club are believed to be preparing an offer for the Algerian defender but could face competition from an unnamed European club, according to a source close to the player. Galatasaray line up bid for Rangers' Bougherra On the move?: Madjid Bougherra is a reported transfer target for Galatasaray and an unnamed European club. Madjid Bougherra may be inching closer to an exit from Rangers with interest in his services growing from abroad. STV Sport understands Turkish club Galatasaray are considering a bid for the Algerian defender, with Rangers also believed to have turned down an offer from another club in Europe within the last 72 hours. Reports in Turkish press on Wednesday have linked Gala boss Frank Rijkaard with a move for the former Charlton Athletic stopper. Sources close to the player confirmed there is definite interest from Turkey but a formal offer is yet to be tabled. The same sources also revealed an unnamed second club bid in the region of Ã?£4.5 million for Bougherra at the weekend. That offer was allegedly rejected by the Ibrox club, who ââ?¬â?? according to the reports in Turkey ââ?¬â?? are seeking Ã?£7 million for the player. Galatasaray sporting director Adnane Sizerine is said to be contacting Rangers officials in order to agree a fee for the defender. The Turkish press has reported that the sporting director is under instruction from Rijkaard to secure the services of a replacement for Servet Cetin. The Turkish centre-back was dropped by Rijkaard towards the end of the season as the Dutchman was apparently unimpressed by the stopper's distribution from the back. Speaking in Algeria on Tuesday evening, Bougherra insisted he was privy to no talk of him possibly switching clubs, saying instead he was focused purely on recovering from a calf injury in time for the World Cup. ââ?¬Å?Honestly, I do not care [about a transfer],ââ?¬Â he told http://www.competition.dz. ââ?¬Å?That [my transfer] will be a matter of destiny. ââ?¬Å?Now the only thing that worries me is my rehabilitation and preparation for the World Cup. Why? Because I am motivated 2,000 per cent. ââ?¬Å?If I have to stay at Rangers, it will not be a bad deal since the club will play in the Champions League.ââ?¬Â

It's just paper talk AFAIK, but apparently we're holding out for �£5m. Hope it's true, as that would signal the return of some strength in the transfer market and send out a signal to clubs down south that we're not desperate for the scraps from their table. . http://sport.stv.tv/football/scottish-premier/rangers/180003-no-hitch-in-liverpools-wilson-deal-but-rangers-want-5-million/

Though we will no be spending millions , neither will we be forced to reduce our current wage bill , which can only be a good thing and hopefully now that some players have left will give Walter some leeway to resign the important ones whilst getting reinforcements in. On the subject of the club's debt, Bain explained: "We have been engaged in direct and constructive discussions with the bank about how the club can operate in the foreseeable future, given the improved financial position since last season. "We will, of course, continue to look for new investment in Rangers but, in the interim, there is a plan in place for the club to operate on a stable basis. "The club recognises that Lloyds Banking Group is looking for structured debt reduction at the club. Equally, the bank recognises that the club needs to be managed at a level where it is in a position to deliver success on the field and meet supporters' expectations. "In broad terms, we will invest some Champions League revenue and general profit from this year in the playing squad. "We will be able to maintain our wage levels as they are and, if any players decide to leave, we will be re-investing proceeds back in the squad."