AEK Athens are poised to sign Jean-Claude Darcheville in the first of what Rangers hope will be a series of departures before Monday night's transfer deadline.

AEK Athens are poised to sign Jean-Claude Darcheville in the first of what Rangers hope will be a series of departures before Monday night's transfer deadline.

Sources in Greece claim the AEK board have opened negotiations with Rangers and his agent, Karim Djeziri, and a fee in the region of £400,000 would be enough to secure the 32-year-old Frenchman.

AEK are desperate to beef up their attack after being knocked out of the UEFA Cup second qualifying round by Omonia Nicosia, of Cyprus.

Daniel Cousin has been linked with a move back to France, with Nantes, but the Gabon striker will hold out until the last moment for a move to England, despite the collapse of his proposed £3m transfer to Fulham.

Brahim Hemandi has rejected the chance to sign for Kocaelispor, the newly promoted Turkish first division side.

Walter Smith, the Rangers manager, is prepared to lose all three players following his summer recruitment drive, while Alan Gow is also available for transfer.

Meanwhile, Smith has backed referee Dougie McDonald to cope with the pressure of this weekend's Old Firm derby. Smith says the controversy surrounding match officials in the opening weeks of the season has been blown out of proportion.

"It's one of those games where there is a lot of tension involved and it brings a little bit of pressure on everybody in the game, not just the referee," he said. "The referees will handle that situation. I think this whole situation has been blown out of proportion a little bit.

"In all the time that I've been involved, the referees and linesmen have always made errors the same way that players and managers make errors as well."