RANGERS will have to shell out if they want to sign Dutch defender Glenn Loovens from Cardiff City - unless they can strike a player swap deal.
By Darrell King and Bert Mitchell
RANGERS will have to shell out if they want to sign Dutch defender Glenn Loovens from Cardiff City - unless they can strike a player swap deal.
The 24-year-old former Feyenoord man is on Gers gaffer Walter Smith's shortlist as he attempts to bolster his options at the back.
Rangers have held initial talks with the Welsh side over Loovens, a 6ft 2in stopper who is now into the final year of his deal after arriving from Holland in 2006 for £250,000.
But sources at Ninian Park say they want in excess of £2m for the former Dutch Under-21 international, even though he only has 12 months of his deal to run and has insisted he won't sign a new contract.
Cardiff are still keen on Kris Boyd, after having a £2.5m bid rejected for him last month, and would be interested in using the Scotland striker in any deal. Daniel Cousin has also been discussed between the clubs as part of the move for Loovens.
But Boyd does not want to leave Ibrox right now and is determined to see if he is involved at the start of the season.
There is, however, a chance he will go before the August window closes if he is not getting regular action. And Cousin is holding out for a move to the Premiership.
Loovens has been tracked by Rangers scouts over the course of last season as Cardiff reached the FA Cup Final and he has now turned down a new deal, saying he wants to play at a higher level.
Smith is looking at him as an option after a £1.5m move for Watford's Danny Shittu collapsed over the Nigerian's wage demands, but insiders said today that he was one of three or four' central defenders being assessed.
Meantime, SportTimes can reveal that former Rangers manager Alex McLeish is looking at taking Alan Gow to Birmingham.
The former Falkirk man has stayed behind to train at Murray Park while the rest of the Rangers squad are on tour.
Gow has seen moves to Burnley and Norwich collapse in the last few weeks. But he knows he has to leave Rangers to get regular football, and McLeish has been sounding out the likes of former Falkirk boss John Hughes about him.
Gow would be interested in moving to the Midlands.
Rangers, meantime, are almost certain to face FBK Kaunas two weeks tonight at Ibrox in the Champions League qualifiers after the Lithuanians thrashed minnows Santa Coloma 4-1 last night in Andorra.
Dangerman Rafael Ledesma score twice as Kaunas took command.
Smith knows he has until July 24 to get new signings in and if Kanuas, as expected, finish the job they will host Rangers in the return leg on Tuesday, August 5 with a 6.05pm kick off UK time.
