Mladenovic heads for Real Sociedad

DRAGAN Mladenovic is delighted to be ending his Rangers nightmare, according to Serbian team-mate Darko Kovacevic. The 28-year-old is set to go on loan to Spanish side Real Sociedad for the rest of the season. Rangers will receive a payment of around £150,000, having also given Real the option to make the move permanent for an additional fee.

The midfielder is now due to travel to San Sebastian tomorrow after playing for Serbia and Montenegro in a friendly in Bulgaria tonight.

Kovacevic, the former Sheffield Wednesday and Juventus striker who is now at Sociedad, revealed he had spoken with Mladenovic about the move. He said: "I spoke yesterday evening with him. He is happy and looking forward to coming over here because he has not been playing over there. He wants to play."

Mladenovic’s debut season in Scotland has been blighted by injury and he will have to pass a medical to seal the deal.

The Spanish FA has also given Sociedad special dispensation to negotiate the loan move, as it has fallen outside of the transfer window, because of the player’s injury problems.

Rangers paid Red Star Belgrade more than 1 million in July for a player who had just broken into his national side with some impressive displays.

But he managed only eight starts and one substitute appearance for Rangers and had not even been included in a squad since the 1-1 draw with Dundee United on 1 January.

He picked up a hamstring injury during a pre-season tour of Austria to delay his debut, and was then pitched in despite lacking match fitness before his season was put on hold again when he suffered knee damage in the home match with Inverness Caledonian Thistle last September.

He eventually recovered from that but was unable to impress manager Alex McLeish, and Rangers made it clear they would be prepared to let him go during the transfer window.

He was linked with moves to Germany, Russia and Turkey but none materialised until Sociedad stepped in. Kovacevic was convinced the move could benefit Real, who are struggling financially and are in the bottom half of the table in La Liga.

He said: "He is the sort of player who could be very good for us. He has got a good engine and he is skilful."

Rangers sold Mikel Arteta to the Basque club last summer but the midfielder has since been farmed out on loan to Everton.