• Premier League

Rangers reject bid for Hammers target Jelavic

ESPN staff
January 25, 2012
Jelavic has been linked with a host of English teams © PA Photos
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Rangers have turned down a formal bid from West Ham for striker Nikica Jelavic after the offer from the Championship leaders failed to meet the Scottish champions' valuation of the Croatian.

Jelavic, who has scored 17 goals for the SPL champions this season, has been linked with a number of teams in England, including Liverpool, West Brom, Fulham and QPR, with Jelavic's father revealing the 26-year-old favoured a move to Anfield.

But Championship promotion-chasers West Ham are also in the hunt to secure Jelavic's services, with Hammers boss Sam Allardyce confirming that the club had contacted Rangers to discuss a potential transfer.

Jelavic admitted that the prospect of a move to the Irons is a tempting proposition.

"West Ham are a great club and not a second division outfit," Jelavic told The Daily Record. "They are a famous English Premier League club who happened to be relegated last season and will return to the top division next season.

"It would be nice to play there, but I am playing at a big club so it wouldn't bother me if I had to stay and anyway I don't even call my agent about a transfer these days. I know Rangers are in a tough financial situation and if they need to sell me I will go, but I would also be happy to stay."

Rangers manager Ally McCoist admitted that chairman Craig Whyte had talked with his West Ham counterpart David Gold, but remains determined to hang on to his top scorer despite the transfer window fervour and a board keen to boost the club's coffers with a potential transfer fee of around £6 million.

"I spoke to Craig and I believe Craig had a conversation with David Sullivan," said McCoist on Wednesday. "But Craig was very keen to point out that absolutely no offers had been made at all. I think it was just a pretty informal chat they had."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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