TOMMY Wright has shrugged off Mark Warburton’s warning that Rangers won't be held to ransom over transfer targets.

The St Johnstone manger yesterday confirmed the Ibrox club haven’t upped their offer for £500,000 rated Perth striker Michael O’Halloran since Perth chairman Steve Brown rejected a bid of around £200,000 last week.

And Wright questioned how the Gers boss would react if the boot was on the other foot.

He said: “I have spoken to the chairman and there is no update regarding what’s happening with Rangers.

“You can’t stop clubs coming in for your best players but any deal has to be right for St Johnstone.

“I won’t be getting into a war of words over claims of being held to ransom.

“Look, if we had the money I would be trying to go and take one of Mark Warburton’s best players.

“Would he value their better players at the level they seem to value Michael at? No he wouldn’t and arguably Michael is playing at a higher level.

“My chairman hasn’t discussed figures with me but he will have a valuation in mind and if that isn’t met Michael will remain a St Johnstone player.

“If he is here when the transfer window closes he will be fine about it. He won’t down tools.

“Michael will look to kick on again. He has been very professional since he came here from Bolton.”

When news broke last week that the Perth club had rejected two bids for their 25-year-old attacker, Wright left O’Halloran out of his squad for the 0-0 draw with Hamilton.

But the McDiarmid manager, who is keen on securing 23-year-old Falkirk midfielder Blair Alston on a pre-contract, revealed that the former Celtic youth player will return for tomorrow’s trip to Parkhead.

“I will speak to Michael but I know just by the look of him in training that he is fully focused this week,” stressed Wright.

“There has been an obvious change in him. With the frame of mind he is in now it is only right to include him in the squad.

“It was almost like a volcano erupting last week.

“There had been speculation before but it came to a height with the bids coming in. The timing was unfortunate but the circumstances are different.

“I know the player, I know his body language and I know he has to be right mentally.

“I knew by talking to him and how he trained that he wasn’t focused for the Hamilton game. That was why we left him out of the squad. It was a simple decision to make.

“But Michael has been a lot better over the last few days. He is probably dealing with it and processing the possibilities in his head. He has had time to take it all in and digest it.

“Bear in mind he has never been put on the market or actively been touted around. We don’t want to lose Michael.

“Arguably he has been our best player this season and that is why we are determined to hold onto him.”