According to Hommed (via The Daily Record), Saint-Etienne have gone cold on Glasgow Rangers target Zinedine Ferhat.

The Lowdown: Gers linked with Ferhat

The Gers have been linked with a move for Algeria international Ferhat (Foot Mercato), who currently plays in Ligue 1 for Nimes.

However, they are yet to make a concrete approach for the midfielder, with both Marseille (Le10 Sport) and Saint-Etienne believed to be ahead in the race for his signature.

The Latest: Saint-Etienne go cold

Les Verts were thought to the be the front-runners for the 28-year-old, but that no longer appears to be the case.

While they are still monitoring Ferhat, they are now on the lookout for cheaper alternatives as well, with the door now open for Ross Wilson and Steven Gerrard to swoop in.

The Verdict: Boost for Rangers

This is no doubt a boost for Rangers, and it will give Gerrard and the club hope that they can convince Ferhat to make the move to Ibrox. The right-sided midfielder has proven himself to be incredibly adept at creating chances over the past four campaigns, racking up 45 assists, while he has also managed 19 goals during that time (Transfermarkt).

Valued at £7.2m (Transfermarkt), Ferhat has just one year left on his contract, meaning he could likely be signed for a much lower fee this summer. The question is, can Rangers convince him they are the right choice for him? With Champions League football as a potential carrot, the Gers are surely a realistic option for Ferhat.

In other news, Rangers fans are livid at this pre-season news.