Rangers told to cough up for Brentford star
RANGERS have been told to increase their offer for Brentford’s French star Toumani Diagouraga after a £100,000 bid was dismissed by the English Championship side. The Ibrox club were linked with the powerful defensive midfielder last night, with reports claiming they had made an initial approach. And it is thought Rangers boss Mark Warburton, who saw Andy Halliday cleared of head-butting Hibs’ Fraser Fyvie yesterday, may be tempted to return with a second offer for the 28-yearold as he seeks new recruits for the Championship run-in. Warburton is an admirer of the Paris-born player, following their time together at Brentford, and also worked with him while coaching at Watford. Diagouraga, who began his career at Paris Saint-Germain and joined the Bees in 2010 after spells with Hereford and Peterborough, was the fans’ Player of the Year last season. Warburton secured Accrington
Stanley pair Josh Windass and Matt Crooks on pre-contracts this week, but the English club’s owner Andy Holt claimed Rangers have made no offer to take them north in this transfer window. The duo will join Rangers in the summer but, reacting to reports the Ibrox outfit have bid £400,000 in an attempt to sign them this month, Holt insisted he has received no opening offer. ‘Rangers need to contact me when the dust settles and we will have a chat,’ said Holt. ‘As things stand, the players are with us until the end of the season. ‘I have had no communication at all suggesting they intend to pay for the players this month. Rangers can move or do nothing. The ball is in their court.’ Meanwhile, midfielder Halliday has been freed to play in Sunday’s Scottish Cup visit of Cowdenbeath. He saw red during the 4-2 victory over Hibs on December 28 after barging into Fyvie, but the SFA reduced it to yellow on appeal ‘for adopting a threatening and/or aggressive attitude’. Fyvie was banned for two matches for feigning injury. The SPFL are set to discuss sectarian singing by Rangers fans at the match when they meet on January 19. It was mentioned in the match delegate’s report but the club will argue they have made strenuous efforts to counter bigotry. They blamed a ‘minority’ of fans for ‘inappropriate singing’ and vowed to assist police in identifying the culprits. Meanwhile, fan-ownership group Rangers First are to poll their members over a potential £500,000 interestfree loan to the club. One of the largest shareholders in RIFC plc in recent months, the group have offered the cash to the Ibrox board to assist with a projected cash shortfall this season. Last night Rangers insisted they did not approach the group for money but admitted they may consider their offer in future.