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Rangers set to renew pursuit of Kovacevic

Calum Philip
Saturday 05 August 2000 00:00 BST
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The old firm's revolving door refuses to stop. Darko Kovacevic has hinted that he is ready to come to Rangers just as Sebastian Rozental is leaving, while Mark Bosnich has apparently decided that his future does not include a spell with Celtic.

The old firm's revolving door refuses to stop. Darko Kovacevic has hinted that he is ready to come to Rangers just as Sebastian Rozental is leaving, while Mark Bosnich has apparently decided that his future does not include a spell with Celtic.

The Yugoslav international Kovacevic, once of Sheffield Wednesday, has made threatening noises that he is ready to leave Juventus after being told by their coach, Carlo Ancelotti, that he will not be in the starting line-up this term, which may lead to a fresh bid from the Scottish champions, who offered £12m for the striker this summer.

The Rangers manager, Dick Advocaat, who off-loaded one of his forwards on Monday - the Finnish international Jonatan Johansson to Charlton for £3.5m, has also told Rozental that he can leave, too.

The injury-plagued Chilean striker is in Argentina trying to fix up a six-month loan deal, but it is almost certainly the end for Rozental, who cost £4m but scored only three times in his three years at Ibrox.

"Seb needs to play regular football, so we decided it would be better to go back to South America on loan," the Rangers chairman, David Murray, said. "He is in Buenos Aires talking things over but, with his commitments to Chile's World Cup campaign, we feel it would be better for him to return to South America."

Advocaat, still simmering over Rangers' poor display in the Champions' League victory over Zalgiris Kaunas in midweek, may rotate his strike-force for the trip to Kilmarnock with Kenny Miller possibly starting his first match since his £2m move from Hibernian.

The Manchester United goalkeeper Bosnich will definitely not be making his Celtic debut at Parkhead today against Motherwell, despite meeting with Martin O'Neill in midweek for what was supposed to be a rubber-stamp on his year's loan move from Old Trafford.

Last night, though, Bosnich declared that he is not prepared to throw in the towel at Old Trafford and is determined to fight for the goalkeeper's jersey with Sir Alex Ferguson's side. "I will be staying at Manchester United," Bosnich said. "I believe that, in spite of what has been said, my future lies with the best-supported and biggest club in the world."

Bosnich's projected move had stirred one of Celtic's goalkeepers, Stewart Kerr, to hand in a transfer request, while another homegrown player, Mark Burchill, is ready to follow suit after losing his place to Chris Sutton, who will make his first home appearance since moving from Chelsea.

Aberdeen have re-signed a former player, John Inglis, as cover for a defensive injury crisis, and the centre-back may face St Mirren at Pittodrie.

In the Scottish League, two former Highland League clubs start life in the Third Division. Peterhead, with the former Liverpool defender Scott Paterson among their new recruits, entertain Montrose, while Elgin City travel to Brechin City.

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