Ibrox media partner kills off two transfer rumours

With no sign of any signings arriving at Ibrox the club has taken to dealing with rumours.

Antonio Colak remains with PAOK with the Greek club’s inability to sign a replacement apparently holding the £1.8m deal up.

It seems a very unlikely excuse for the transfer not going through, at any moment Colak could be injured in training or in one of PAOK’s pre-season friendlies. In two weeks time PAOK play a Europe League qualifier against Levski Sofia.

The dire state of finances at Ibrox are highlighted by the low quality rumours, the days of luring Aaron Ramsey or Amad Dialo seem a lifetime away from Lewis Ferguson and Ellis Sims who both plodded their way through the SPFL last season.

Rangers Review, one of the club’s media partners, claims:

Like Alan Smith in days gone by, Aberdeen midfielder Lewis Ferguson is one player who seems destined to be linked with a move to Govan every transfer window. Understandable perhaps, given his family history but I’m reliably informed, as talented a player he may be, he has never been on the radar of the Rangers scouting department and that hasn’t changed.

Ellis Simms is another name that has been linked with Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men in recent days. The Everton youngster caught the eye when he spent the second half of last season on loan at Hearts where he scored seven times in all competitions. Powerful and pacey, it’s clear he’s a kid with some talent. Indeed, the Jambos are said to be keen on obtaining the 21-year-old’s services for the upcoming season. Rangers are not understood to be actively pursuing his signature.

It seems incredible that a current Scotland internationalist that was previously part of the Murray Park Academy ‘has never been on the radar’. To describe Simms as pacey is a step too far.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst still hasn’t spoken to in-house media despite more than a week back in pre-season training, in four weeks time his side face a Champions League Third Round qualifier.