Steve Lomas accuses Rangers of trying to get Fran Sandaza on the cheap

STEVE LOMAS has accused Rangers of trying to unsettle striker Fran Sandaza – and told them to put their money where their mouth is.

The St Johnstone manager accepts that Rangers are legally entitled to approach the Spaniard because he is in the last six months of his deal but he is upset to read them talking about the ex-Dundee United man publicly.

Rangers have offered Sandaza a pre-contract but face competition from West Brom and Cardiff and Saints have told interested clubs the bidding will start at £300,000 if they want him this month.

Lomas has spoken to Rangers manager Ally McCoist and insists he feels sorry for the Ibrox legend because of the financial constraints he’s working under.

But the Northern Irishman is annoyed that Sandaza is being subjected to public courting when he should be focused on playing for St Johnstone. He said: “Ally wants him and I think he’d go to Rangers. But at the end of the day it’s a case of Rangers unsettling our player - they maybe see us as little St Johnstone and are trying to get him on the cheap. And that is poor. “I phoned Ally before the window opened and said if you are interested in Fran let’s get it conducted right - the way Rangers operated under David Murray, who conducted business in the right way.

“I understand there are financial implications but at the end of the day, like I said to Ally and he agrees, we have got to replace our top goalscorer and doing that would be very hard.

“If Fran stays he looked me in the eye, shook my hand and he assured me he will be the same player.

“I just think that if Rangers are the great club that they are I don’t understand two things – why Fran would sign a pre-contract and risk injury.

“The contract is worth nothing if he gets injured. If Rangers want him why don’t they do it straight away?

“I feel sorry for Ally because this is his first big job. He is an Ibrox legend and to be fair he is having to deal with all this financial uncertainty.

“But as a friend of Fran and not just his manager, I’d say if you’re going to gamble with your fitness to the end of the season why do it with a pre-contract? Why not score ten more goals and have a load of clubs in for you, rather than just Rangers?

“Because if he gets an injury he isn’t going to pass a medical and that pre-contract would be like toilet paper. You could flush it down the pan.”

Lomas is also unhappy with the conduct of Spanish-based agent Clive Jagger, who went public last week to insists Sandaza won’t be accepting Saints’ offer of a new deal.

The former West Ham captain has not been impressed by the advice Jagger has been giving his client. He said: “I don’t know what his agent is doing. In fact I do know – he is absolutely Mickey Mouse.

“He will want Fran to go to Rangers because he will be getting something out of it.

“Rangers should put up. It’s not fair to us or to Fran to ask him to gamble to the end of the year with his fitness. He should wait to the summer. The thing is, if he scores 12 more goals that’s 25 and he probably won’t be going to Rangers.”

Meanwhile, Lomas has confirmed that striker Cillian Sheridan has signed until the end of the season. The ex-Celtic front man is on loan from Bulgarian side CSKA Sofia and they have agreed to extend his deal to the summer. Lomas said: “I’m delighted. He was unfortunate to get injured straight away. He came off after ten minutes against Hibs and that’s the only time I’ve had him available – but it was a great 10 minutes!

“I think there’s a lot more to come from him. He has got the makings of a very good centre forward and it’s my job to keep him fit and help him get to the level I feel he should be at.

“He’s 6ft 3, he works hard, he is quick, good in the air, with a good touch.”