Rangers try to bat away Newcastle as Kinnear admits he wants Ferguson

RANGERS offered a frosty response yesterday after Newcastle United manager Joe Kinnear went public with his interest in Barry Ferguson.

The midfielder has 18 months to run on his contract and the Ibrox club are understood to be unwilling to let their captain quit for the English Premier League for the second time in his career. Ferguson, 30, spent a largely unfulfilling 18 months with Blackburn Rovers from 2003-05 before returning to Rangers. He subsequently spoke of the feeling of anti-climax he experienced in England.

Nevertheless, Kinnear is desperate to bolster his Newcastle side for the relegation battle that lies ahead and has an interest in both Ferguson and his Ibrox team-mate Madjid Bougherra.

Kinnear, who admits he may have to sell before he can buy, said: "I have enquired about Ferguson, but we will wait and see what the outcome of that is. We are finding it difficult to bring certain players from clubs. Our bids haven't been accepted so far.

"The problem is two or three clubs are in for the same players. At the moment, there could be teams bidding more than us. It would help if I could move some of the players here and get the finances in that way. But we have had no bids for them."

Ferguson is still trying to recapture his best form following ankle surgery last year, but he remains a mainstay of manager Walter Smith's side.

Martin Bain, the Rangers chief executive, offered a curt response when told yesterday of Kinnear's remarks. "There has been no official inquiry and this is just speculation," Bain said.

Rangers are desperate to offload some of their fringe players during January to free up some money to bring in new faces. In that respect they are in the same boat as Newcastle.

Kinnear admitted yesterday he is targeting at least five additions this month, perhaps some of them on loan, to cover the deficiencies of a squad which went into yesterday's goalless FA Cup third-round tie with Hull with 10 injuries, six of them long-term.

However, he did so having to fend off reports that unsettled goalkeeper Shay Given may be sold after growing frustrated with the club's plight following more than 11 years on Tyneside.

In addition, skipper Michael Owen has insisted he will not make a decision on his future until the end of the season, while Nicky Butt, Shola Ameobi and Steve Harper are still haggling over terms.