Rangers pursue Riedle

Scottish football

Scottish football

Rangers' Europe-wide pursuit of new talent has turned to the German Bundesliga and Borussia Dortmund's experienced international striker, Karlheinz Riedle, writes Rupert Metcalf.

Walter Smith, the Ibrox manager, is keen to sign Riedle, who played with Paul Gascoigne at Lazio in Italy. On Thursday Smith spent pounds 1.5m on the Danish international striker, Erik Bo Andersen, from Aalborg.

Rangers have reportedly offered a pounds 2m package to Riedle, who will be out of contract this summer. However, Dortmund may offer him a new deal. The Scottish champions have also been checking out another German international, Bayer Leverkusen's Ulf Kirsten, and a German-based Dane, Mikkel Beck of Fortuna Cologne.

Andersen is due to make his Rangers debut at Hibernian tomorrow. Celtic, who can draw level on points with Rangers at the top of the Premier Division if they beat Hearts at home today, are also interested in Kirsten but may drop plans to sign the Portuguese international, Jorge Cadete, from Sporting Lisbon after they discovered yesterday the striker is not a free agent, as had been thought, but could cost up to pounds 2m.