Ally McCoist, the Rangers manager, admitted the club's imminent transfer ban means signing trialists was a major gamble, but he will still offer a contract to Greek defender Anestis Argyriou.

McCoist intends to add four or five players before a 12-month SFA embargo is applied to the club at the end of the current transfer window, next Friday and he added that the possibility of league reconstruction during that period was an influence on his decisions.

Argyriou, who left AEK Athens in the summer, did enough to impress during a trial, as did French defender Sebastian Faure, signed earlier in the week. German goalkeeper Rouven Sattelmaier, Australian striker Francesco Stella and Francesco Celeste, an Argentinian midfielder, have also been on trial at Murray Park this week.

"You're certainly happier about bringing in guys who have a proven track record, guys that you know," said McCoist. "With everything else there's a little more of a gamble. You realise with the sanctions and the possibility of league reconstruction you have got to get them right.

"We've still got a few of the lads on trial. The Greek lad Anestis we're hopefully going to offer something to but I'd be really hopeful in the next three or four days that we can get bodies in because we need them."

Rangers will not sign Morgaro Gomis, the Birmingham City midfielder, because of his wage demands, but McCoist does not expect Carlos Bocanegra to leave Ibrox during this window.