RANGERS can say goodbye to four-in-a-row if they sell Nikica Jelavic in the final days of the Jan-uary transfer window.

That was the stark warning today for the Ibrox club’s hierarchy from legendary Gers goalscorer Derek Johnstone.

The SPL champions turned down an initial £7million bid – £6m plus £1m in add-ons – from West Ham United for Jelavic on Wednesday.

However, it is looking increasingly likely that Scotland’s top scorer, who has banged in 17 goals in the 2011/12 campaign, will be offloaded before midnight on Tuesday with CSKA Moscow today said to be tracking him with a view to making a move.

SportTimes columnist DJ fears if that happens, and no quality replacement is brought in to take over from him up front, then Ally McCoist’s side has no chance of winning the SPL. Gers are already four points behind Old Firm rivals Celtic in the table.

Johnstone said: “If West Ham up their offer, or someone else comes in and Jelavic does go, and Rangers don’t bring in anybody else, then there will be ructions at Ibrox.

“I don’t think the supporters will be happy. The majority of fans don’t want to lose him in the first place and, so far, the possible replacements look like trialists, loans or guys without clubs. That won’t wash.

“People will accept that if you are going to get £7m, £8m or £9m for him, it is good business. But only if someone else comes in – and someone with some pedigree.

“If Jelavic goes and no other striker comes in, then you are left with just David Healy as Kyle Lafferty is out injured and Steven Naismith is out for the season.

“So I think Rangers’ chances of four-in-a-row will reduce rapidly. I don’t think there is any doubt. I think their chances would be slim to nothing.”

And Johnstone reckons club owner Craig Whyte would incur the wrath of supporters who have until now backed him.

DJ added: “If Jelavic does go, Craig might face a backlash. They have given him the benefit of the doubt so far and rightly so. The fans were happy for him to take over rather than the bank. He has come in and we all know the mess he has inherited.

“But he knew that himself. I think we can all remember all the chats about the manager getting £20m to spend on players over four years and the manager getting £10m of that early to spend.

“We have seen none of that. The money they have spent on players is the money they got for Madjid Bougherra and Charlie Adam. That is what they have spent.

“If Ally has to go into the second half of the season losing his top striker and nobody else who can hit the ground running coming in, the fans will not be happy.”