RANGERS had two bids rejected yesterday for January transfer target Michael O’Halloran.
Both offers for the highly-rated forward – the second believed to be in the region of £150,000 – were thrown out by St Johnstone chairman Steve Brown.
Ibrox manager Mark Warburton has targeted the 25-year-old former Bolton and Celtic youth player to bolster his squad for the push to claim the Championship title and a return to the top flight.
But O’Halloran, who impressed Warburton during with his performance in the Perth club’s 3-1 League Cup win over Rangers earlier this season, is under contract for another 18 months and manager Tommy Wright is desperate to hold onto him.
Wright, who has tipped O’Halloran for a Scotland call-up, has a League Cup semi-final looming with Hibs and has his sights set on claiming another Europa League spot.
Earlier this week, the Ulsterman voiced fears that growing conjecture linking Rangers with a move for his prized asset could unsettle the former Scotland Under-21 attacker.
O’Halloran, whose pace has been a key asset to Saints on the wing and through the middle since arriving from Bolton two years ago, was watched recently by Ibrox chief scout Frank McParland against Motherwell and Kilmarnock.
Despite rebuffing Rangers approaches yesterday, Saints chief Brown is now bracing himself for a renewed bid to prise O’Halloran from Perth before the transfer window closes.
Warburton has placed O’Halloran and Brentford’s 28-year-old French midfielder Toumani Diagouraga at the top of his January wish list
He has already brought in Polish keeper Maciej Gostomski and Doncaster midfielder Harry Forrester on deals through to the summer, with Accrington Stanley duo Matt Crooks and Josh Windass secured on pre-contracts.
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