Francisco Sandaza on the brink of agreeing deal with Rangers

RANGERS – who will tonight play at Ibrox for the first time since going into liquidation when they take on East Fife in the first round of the Scottish Communities League Cup – are close to completing the signing of Francisco Sandaza.

Sandaza, the former St Johnstone and Dundee United striker, was a Rangers target last season and looks set to become the latest addition to Ally McCoist’s squad.

Speaking ahead of the East Fife match, the Ibrox manager said: “I’m hopeful there will be a deal done very, very soon. The best way to put it is that Francisco hasn’t signed yet but we are very keen to get him.

“The agent and our representatives have been in discussions over the weekend and I’d be hopeful he’d be signing soon.”

Brazilian trialist Emilson 
Cribari could also be set for a move after arriving in Glasgow on Saturday, while former Hearts strikers Craig Beattie and Kevin Kyle are both in contention for deals.

Emilson has Serie A experience, having turned out for 
Udinese, Lazio, Siena and Napoli in Italy’s top flight and McCoist is keen to bring the 32-year-old South American to Scotland on a permanent basis.

“He’s been here for a couple of days and both parties are keen to do something,” said the manager, whose side open their Third Division campaign on Saturday against Peterhead. “He has played at a top level and we are enjoying having him.

“It’s important that players coming here know the situation, particularly foreign players, but in saying that we have been world news for the past four or five months.”

Former Kilmarnock and Hearts forward Kyle has not played since January 2011, having been dogged by a persistent hip injury. But following surgery, the 31-year-old has been training with Dunfermline and St Johnstone this summer before joining up with McCoist’s squad.

McCoist continued: “We’re hopeful that a deal can be done there too. He’s been in training and has been doing well.

“We’re signing players that hopefully can get us through next season. We’ve lost a phenomenal amount of players, near 23 I think. It’s important that we sign players that we can afford but also who the fans want to come and see. We need quality, the fans deserve that.”

McCoist has already recruited Ian Black and Dean Shiels and does not believe his attempts to sign SPL quality players to play in the Irn-Bru Third Division will endanger the club’s finances again, after being consigned to liquidation in the summer.

He said: “I would hope not, that goes without saying. That’s the last thing we need. It’s been well documented what the finances have been like for the last nine or ten months.

“I’m not passing the buck but that isn’t my department. I’m not an accountant but I do know figures have to be balanced. That’s somebody else’s department but I would be very hopeful that we wouldn’t be signing these players unless it was 
economically possible.

“I think it is very important that we don’t go and sign players who think they might get us out of SFL3. I think we should sign players of the highest standard and quality because the fans deserve that.”

Meanwhile Ibrox pair Dean Shiels and Andrew Little have both been included in the Northern Ireland squad to face Finland at Windsor Park next Wednesday night.