RANGERS were last night

trying to sign at least one more new player before Thursday's transfer deadline for the Champions League third qualifying round.

Craig Moore is negotiating personal terms on a (pounds) 500,000 transfer to Blackburn Rovers and his departure would allow further additions to be made by Ibrox manager Alex McLeish.

McLeish wants to complete a loan transfer for Gregory Vignal, the Liverpool left-back, with talks to that effect taking place today. He is also believed to be keen to strengthen both the midfield and centre-back areas of their squad.

Moore was deposed as club captain and placed on the transfer list last month after deciding to play for Australia in the Olym-pics. That commitment rules him out of the Champions League qualifier in which Rangers will face either CSKA Moscow, the Russian champions, or PFC Neftchi, of Azerbaijan.

If, as expected, CSKA Mos-cow progress, the first leg would take place in the Russian capital next Tuesday. Qualification for the group stage would be worth approximately (pounds) 7m to Rangers, who have a reported debt of (pounds) 68m.

Moore underwent a clean-up operation on his knee in April, but has since proved his fitness by playing for his country in friendly matches against Japan and South Korea. He has been excused from Australia's Olym-pic training camp in Crete to resolve his future, arriving in Blackburn yesterday with his agent, John Viola, to discuss per-sonal terms with the Premiership club and undergo a medical.

Viola said last night: ''We are in negotiations and will see how things progress. Blackburn are the only team to have reached an agreement with Rangers and that is why we are here speaking to them. I think playing in the Premiership would appeal to most players.

''Craig had been in Japan, so he has gone from there to Athens and now back to the UK. It has involved a lot of travelling but that is something you have to expect. I think he will be able to stay for the next day or so before having to rejoin the Australian squad.''

Graeme Souness, the Blackburn manager, has signed Barry Ferguson, Lorenzo Amoruso and Tugay from Rangers. If Moore signs as well, Souness will have paid transfer fees totalling (pounds) 10.7m to his former club.

Rangers will now hope a new club can be found for Michael Ball before the end of this month, when the transfer window closes until January, or pay Everton (pounds) 500,000 should he make another first-team appearance. They are also believed to be willing to sell Maurice Ross, the right-back who has fallen behind Fernando Ricksen and Alan Hutton in the pecking order.

McLeish has brought in six new players since the end of last season and Vignal is now poised to become the seventh.

He arrived at Ibrox on trial last week and played in the club's friendly matches against Spurs, Newcastle United and Feyenoord, and impressed enough for McLeish to pursue a season-long loan.

His agent, Phillipe Flavier, said last night that he had spoken with Martin Bain, director of football business at Ibrox, who informed him of the firm interest in his client.

''Rangers would like to keep Gregory and I hope to hold discussions on Tuesday to see if we can reach an agreement for a year's loan from Liverpool. I have spoken to the player and he is very interested in the prospect,'' said Flavier.

Vignal joined Liverpool in 2000 in a (pounds) 500,000 transfer from French club Montpellier. He showed early promise at Anfield but he dropped out of the first team picture following a succession of injury problems. Vignal has previously been on loan at Rennes, also in France, and Espanyol and is now likely to continue that sequence with Rangers.

Meanwhile, police in Newcastle have praised Rangers supporters for their behaviour over the weekend. Sir Bobby Robson, manager of Newcastle United, criticised the ''filthy chants'' aimed at Alan Shearer during Saturday's 4-2 victory over McLeish's men, prompting a stout defence of their supporters from McLeish and Bain.

The Glasgow club took around 15,000 fans to the North East for the pre-season tournament at St James' Park ground. Northumbria Police said there were no serious incidents during the competition and fewer arrests than on a normal match day. Two Rangers fans were arrested in the ground on Saturday, one for possession of drugs and another for a minor public order offence.

Superintendent Steve Storey said: ''Although the Rangers fans had been drinking, they were very well-behaved and I would like to thank them for their conduct.''