THE managing director of Viking Stavangar, Bjarne Berntsen, last night shattered Alex McLeish's hopes of hiring Hannu Tihinen to plug the defence gap left by Craig Moore. However, the Norwegians are willing to accept a cut-price offer for the Finnish internationalist, whose contract expires next Christmas.

Moore will be out of action for around a month - ruling him out of the CIS Insurance Cup final against Ayr United on March 17 - after sustaining a hamstring strain in the semi-final defeat of Celtic on Tuesday. Yesterday, his manager conceded that after a fruitless attempt to procure a midfield powerhouse before last week's European deadline, he has now turned his attention on signing a defender on a short-term deal, with Tihinen identified as his top target.

However, although resigned to losing the 26-year-old before

the Norwegian championship resumes after their winter break in April, Berntsen insists he will not be allowed to leave on loan again, after a previous spell with West Ham United failed to yield a long-term agreement.

''There has been no contact from Rangers and, even if there had been, we would not be prepared to let him leave on the short-term,'' he said last night.

''His contract with us expires at the end of the Norwegian season and it is certain he will leave us but we will only let him leave if we receive an offer we feel is right.''

Tihinen is considered to be as talented as his international defensive partner, Sami Heepia, whose success since joining

Liverpool has led to him being awarded the club captaincy. Indeed, it was rumoured last year that Tihinen could join his countryman at Anfield, while Celtic, West Ham, and Hertha Berlin have also expressed an interest.

Once rated in the (pounds) 3m bracket, he could be available for as little as (pounds) 400,000 as Viking seek compensation before he is able to leave on a Bosman. Whether that fee is within Rangers' price range remains to be seen. The Rangers chairman, David Murray, told The Herald yesterday that the season's budget has already been spent and insisted his new manager would have to wait until the summer before making his first signing.

Viking are currently preparing to take part in a winter tournament in La Manga next weekend which has proved popular with Scandinavian clubs and Tihinen is expected to play. His manager, Benny Lennartsson, admits the loss of his influential defender would be a huge blow before the season restarts.

''I haven't heard anything about this as they have not been in contact,'' he said. ''We are starting our season soon, so for Hannu to leave at this time would not be great.''

Another Rangers target confirmed by McLeish, Henrik Larsson's strike partner for Sweden, Marcus Allback, is attracting the attention of Tottenham Hotspur.

A clause in his contract with Dutch side Heerenveen allows him to move on for (pounds) 2.5m and, while that figure is beyond Rangers, with the club forced to be more frugal with their finances, such a figure would not represent an insurmountable obstacle for the Londoners.

The career of Marco Negri, meanwhile, took another controversial twist yesterday when he left Bologna after only three months.

The former Rangers striker spent almost a year searching for a club after leaving Ibrox with a mystery bone injury but, having returned to full fitness, he failed to make one appearance for the Serie A side under Francesco Guidolin.

He will today sign for Serie B side Cagliari in the latest chapter in a colourful career, one that surely has a few pulsating pages left in it.