Rangers have discovered the definitive transfer fee required to secure target Ryan Fosso, with a competitive £2.5million opening offer already knocked back.
The 24-year-old Sturm Graz midfielder has been heavily linked with a move to Ibrox as part of Derek McInnes‘ summer midfield revamp.
While initial reports suggested the Light Blues held an early advantage, a fierce multi-club bidding war has materialised across Europe.
According to Africafoot, Spanish La Liga outfit Levante have launched the first official offensive for the Cameroon international, giving Rangers an exact look at what it will take to win the race.
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Levante have £2.5m Ryan Fosso bid rejected
Levante moved aggressively by submitting a direct, concrete €3m (£2.5m) opening offer to Sturm Graz in an attempt to lure the defensive midfielder to Spain.
However, the Austrian giants have no intention of letting their midfield anchor leave on the cheap.
Having signed him from Fortuna Sittard for a six-figure fee just seven months ago, Sturm Graz have watched Fosso’s stock explode on the international stage.
The Austrian hierarchy left Levante’s opening bid entirely unanswered, delivering a clear message to his suitors.
Fosso will not be allowed to leave unless an offer in the region of their €5m (£4.3m) baseline evaluation arrives.
Rangers in five-club tug-of-war
The steep price tag is not the only hurdle confronting Rangers. Alongside Levante’s formal bid, Serie A mainstays Udinese have already initiated direct, preliminary talks with the player’s representatives to discuss a project in Italy.
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With Torino and German traditional outfit Hamburg also entering the race, the battle for the Switzerland-born powerhouse has escalated into a true five-club tug-of-war.
Now that the financial boundary lines have been drawn in Austria, the ball lands squarely back in Rangers’ court.
If Dan Purdy wants to bring the physical number six to Glasgow, the Ibrox board will need to stretch their financial parameters and meet the £4.3m bounty.
It is worth noting that the Gers are also pursuing deals for Vanja Dragojevic and Jens Hjert-Dahl, having seen bids for both players already rejected.
