THE man described by Rangers chairman David Murray as their ''biggest

signing'', Basile Boli, yesterday acknowledged that he had turned down a

huge offer from Genoa in Italy in favour of the prospect of playing in

the Champions League next season.

The Marseilles defender, who scored the goal that beat AC Milan in the

final of the European Cup two seasons ago, chose the Ibrox club because

they, unlike the Italians, have a chance of emulating his French side's

feat, which, it has to be said, was devalued by the subsequent

disqualification of Marseille as a result of corruption.

Murray's assessment of the Boli signing was not based on finance as,

even at #2.7m, he is not the dearest player bought by the club -- Duncan

Ferguson and Brian Laudrup cost more -- but on the Frenchman's standing

in the game throughout Europe.

As a Champions Cup winner with 55 caps for his country to his name,

Boli, indeed, is a rare acquisition and his own observation that he is

the first Frenchman to play in Scotland demonstrates a sense of history

which will be useful once he gets used to his new environment.

''Eric Cantona has been a very good representative for France in

England and I would like to do the same in Scotland.''

Cantona, in fact, has spoken to him on the phone and congratulated him

on his move to Ibrox. ''People in France have been saying that I am the

type of player who could do well in Britain and I wanted to find out if

they are right.''

With Laudrup already in the fold, at a cost of #2.8m, Rangers have

spent #5.5m in the close season to prove to their army of customers that

they have no intention of letting the standards slip.

Asked if the transfer dealing was over for the time being, the

chairman replied: ''Don't you think that is enough? We have done more in

a couple of weeks than the rest of Scottish football in five years.''

Allowing for a touch of hyperbole from an owner who was entitled to be

a bit excited about business done, Murray was not so far away from the

truth in that it would need a fair combination of others' business to

match the Ibrox expenditure.

More important, perhaps, is that the addition of Boli, a player

generally regarded as among the very best defenders in Europe, does take

the club into a different dimension. Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were

very interested in his future while Genoa's late bid would have been so

lucrative that it would not have been matched by Rangers.

''He showed that money isn't everything -- although he is being well

paid by us -- and he wanted to play for Rangers,'' said Murray.

Boli, who apologised for his English, yet was able to converse well

enough, said that the major motivation in joining Rangers was to again

win the Champions Cup. ''You need skill, experience, good tactics, and

good players to do that and I think Rangers are capable of it.''

He named a few of his new colleagues as proof, Richard Gough, Ally

McCoist, Trevor Steven, and, not surprisingly, Mark Hateley. ''Hateley

and I had a 'war' when we played each other. Now, I am on his side and

we are friends.''

Mark might be among the more delighted of the current Ibrox players at

the arrival in Glasgow of this tough, but brilliant, player who, unless

things go badly awry, will bring an exciting continental flavour to

Rangers' play.

He insists that he will have no problem with referees, although some

of us might suggest he ain't seen nothin' yet.

He was not entirely stunned when the news that Rangers were interested

reached him. ''Tottenham and Arsenal already had made approaches,'' he

said, ''and I spoke to Mr Sugar of Tottenham. But they had too many

other problems.''

Boli, who has signed a three-year contract, has had his problems with

the French international side in the past but is back in favour and,

although it has been reported that he has declared himself finished with

the national team, he said that it would be best to ''wait and see''.

He looks forward to the physical side of Scottish football, and that

should come as no surprise to those who have seen this powerful athlete

in action, and is keen to become part of the ''fighting spirit'' that is

seen as a major factor in Rangers' make-up.

''I did not come to Glasgow just because I like the town,'' he said.

''I want to play at the highest level and that is the Champions Cup.''

Laudrup already had said something similar and it becomes clear that

being part of that elite grouping now attracts star players very nearly

as much as the cash rewards themselves.

The onus on Rangers to win their preliminary tie which would open the

door into the real thing thus becomes heavy, even if the chairman has

made provision for failure, a word he would not contemplate at this

stage.

The possibility that another foreigner, Brondby's Marc Reiper, will be

joining the club remains, even if Murray has stepped back from paying

the fee requested by the Danish club. ''We will not pay what they want

for him,'' he said, ''but I would like to think he will still be here in

due course.''