The Rumour Mill: Thursday’s football transfer news and gossip

QPR confident of Ki signing

Queens Park Rangers are close to completing a deal to sign Celtic midfielder Ki Sung-Yueng, according to reports from South Korea. The player has also attracted interest from Liverpool, and Celtic reportedly rejected a £6m offer from Russian club Rubin Kazan, but a source close to Ki is quoted as saying: “QPR has completed a deal for Ki Sung-Yueng’s transfer and the two sides are currently negotiating over his salary ... it is virtually a done deal.” (Herald)

Rangers newco latest

• Allan McGregor could miss out on his desired move to the English Premier League because, at 6ft, he is considered by some to be too short. The Scotland goalkeeper will not commit to any deal abroad - including Turkish outfit Besiktas - until he has exhausted his hopes of playing in England. (Express)

• Rangers have agreed to terminate the contract of midfielder Juan Manuel Ortiz by mutual consent. (Various)

• Charles Green’s £5.5m purchase of Rangers’ assets included a £2.75m payment to purchase the contracts and registrations of the club’s players, according to a report by the club’s administrators. (Scotsman)

• And Green paid just £1.5m for Ibrox, Murray Park and a car park once valued together at £110m. (Record)

• The SPL have issued placement money to each club for last season – with the exception of soon-to-be-liquidated Rangers. Ally McCoist’s side finished second, which would have guaranteed them a cash sum of £900,000, but it has emerged that Charles Green’s Sevco Scotland Ltd will be lucky to see £25,000 of that sum. The largest chunk will go to Hearts, who are due £800,000 from the £1.5m sale of Lee Wallace. (Scotsman)

• Pat Nevin fears his former club Kilmarnock could be forced into liquidation along with several others if Rangers are demoted to the Third Division. (Record)

SFL vote latest

• Former First Minister Henry McLeish has backed SFA chief executive Stewart Regan’s stance that Rangers should be accepted into the First Division in order to avoid what he says would be severe financial consequences for the whole of Scottish football. He said: “If you look at Rangers playing in SFL1, then to me it can tick both boxes. It brings to a conclusion, I would like to think, the range of punishments that have been meted out. But it also satisfies the fact that a huge punishment has been delivered to the club  in terms of their integrity and credibility.” (Scotsman)

• There are so many SFL clubs unhappy with the wording of the resolutions they’re being asked to take a stance on in Friday’s vote on Rangers that there may be a mass revolt resulting in no vote at all. (Scotsman)

• While plans for a 16-team top flight have been widely reported, it is understood that a model for three leagues of 14 teams is also on the table. (Herald)

• Livingston chairman Gordon McDougall has warned Rangers the SFL vote hangs in the balance and it could be a week before their future is decided. (Sun)

• Albion Rovers will demand compensation if rivals Airdrie United are promoted to Division One because the new Rangers are voted into Division Three. (Sun)

• Jim Leishman has criticised a further delay in deciding whether Dunfermline or Dundee will enter the SPL. (Sun)

Griffiths’ Wolves future in doubt

Leigh Griffiths’ hopes of making a success of his Wolves career appear to be over after he revealed on Twitter that new manager Stale Solbakken had told him he has no future at Molineux. The 21-year-old, who still has a year to run on his Wolves contract, said at the end of his loan spell at Hibs last term that he was keen to return south and make a go of things in the Midlands. However, the Scot appears to have been informed at training yesterday that he is free to find a new club. (Scotsman)

Hearts trialist set for run-out

Hearts trialist Anton Peterlin is set to be given the chance to impress manager John McGlynn in their opening pre-season friendly at Raith Rovers on Saturday. The American midfielder has been training with the Scottish Cup winners this week and is expected to play some part in the testimonial clash for Rovers stalwart Laurie Ellis at Stark’s Park. (Scotsman)

IN BRIEF

• Hibs boss Pat Fenlon has made a new striker his signing priority after the departures of Leigh Griffiths and Garry O’Connor. (Record)

• Andy Dowie has signed a new one-year deal with Dunfermline. (Record)

• Dean Shiels has returned to training with Kilmarnock but the out-of-contract player is still keeping his options open. (Record)

• New Raith Rovers player/manager Grant Murray is weighing up a move for former Blackpool midfielder Stuart Anderson. (Scotsman)

• Former Rangers defender Bob Malcolm has joined East Fife for pre-season training. (Record)

• Arbroath have signed former Livingston defender Michael Travis and could also snap up East Stirling striker Darren Gribben. (Record)

• Cowdenbeath have opened talks with Spanish defender Ruben Garcia Rey after a successful trial. (Record)