Mathie9

We are still waiting on a work permit! Fuck sake He can play in europe if Villa beat Rapid.

Great signing!! Buzzing!! This boys a GEM!

Nikica Jelavic has arrived at Murray Park, ahead of completing his £4 million transfer to Rangers. The Croatian striker will undergo a medical on Friday afternoon, before finalising personal terms on his move from Rapid Vienna. "It's been quite a protracted one," Rangers boss Walter Smith said of the deal. "There has been a few hitches and Martin Bain has had to work extremely hard to get that one over the line. "We will hopefully do that this afternoon and fingers crossed that's the case. The player over that time has always said that he would like to join us and hopefully that can be completed this afternoon." The 24-year-old striker will require a work permit to move to Scotland and a first application will not be successful, with Jelavic having played just one competitive match for Croatia in the last two years. Jelavic has six caps but, under Home Office regulations, must have featured in 75 per cent of games. The criteria for a work permit does not include friendlies, in which Jelavic has made five of his six appearances in international colours, meaning he has played in just 10 per cent of Croatia's 10 competitive games since August 20, 2008. The Scottish Football Association have the final say on whether or not to issue a endorsement towards a certificate of sponsorship for the player and use the Home Office criteria, meaning Jelavic's first application will fail. An appeals panel will ultimately weigh up whether or not the player is an internationally established player and whether another professional within the UK could not perform a similar role. That appeals panel typically sits within three to five working days of an appeal submission. Unless Jelavic has a degree from a course which was taught in English, he will also have to sit an English language test with the SQA before he is granted a work permit to enter the country as a Tier Two immigrant. However, he can come into the country under Tier Five and would be given one year to pass an English test. Jelavic, who was prevented from moving to Rangers earlier in the week when Rapid told him he had to stay in Austria and play in the Europa League against Aston Villa, told his club on Thursday morning he instead wanted to head for Glasgow at the nearest opportunity. “Against all expectations, Nikica Jelavic said today he no longer wanted to play for Rapid,” Rapid president Rudolf Edlinger said on Thursday morning. “That's a shock for the whole Rapid family. “Anyone who goes through with such a decision has no place here anymore.”

Is that you Walter?

Fuck off and don't come back!! It suits you now to come back and support Rangers because we are signing new players!! You should support your team thro think and thin, no matter who owns, manages or plays for the team. You make me sick tbh!! Your not a Rangers supporter. You support yourself!! Bad news man!!

You know what i mean!

is Jelavic both footed? seems to be the complete striker!

Brilliant day for Glasgow Rangers!!

Putting my neck on the line here.... We have got ourselfs an absolute Jem with Nikica Jelavic!!! Im sooo excited here!! Would never have thought that we could have brought a player of his calibire to Rangers, apparantly these days were over. Also a dynamic speedy positive winger!! am i dreaming fellow bears?

Deal is on!! Rapid have taken his squad picture off their website! I think they will now want this deal done asap! Think we have got our man fellow bears! First time i've actually felt confident with this deal.

This is a signing that would really excite me, great positive wee player! Only thing is STV talk a lot of gash! They said we were signing that left back Emilio Izaguirre on friday and now Celtic sign him today. I don't buy into there stories!

This is coming from a Croatian translation!

il put a tenner in!!

We are currently in negotiation with both Stoke and Portsmouth with regard to the signing of James Beattie and Tommy Smith. Just where we are exactly is always difficult to say but discussions are taking place," Smith said. "Hopefully we can manage to conclude both deals. "We are still progressing the move to sign Nikica Jelavic but I must admit the longer it goes the more doubtful I become over whether it will happen. There have been more complications in that one than we imagined. A lot of these things don't go smoothly and this one certainly hasn't but we haven't given up on that one. "It's been frustrating because these dealings have been on-going for about three weeks now but hopefully we can clear things up in the next day or two. "We hope Beattie and Smith would be tied up for Saturday''

See to be honest i think if Rangers we're to sign Jelavic it would have been done before he went away with Croatia. If he has signed then im sure we will be made aware of it today. I can't imagine Rangers and Bain to go this far without signing him! It does make me a little unsure with the pursuit of Beattie tho. Keep Believing!

Walter was suited and booted in his interview on SSN there, Could this be a sign that we're signing and parading someone today? Anytime I see an interview with him he's always got his Rangers gear on. I could be wrong tho!!

Don't want to sound too negative here but is he actually as good as we all think? From what i have seen of him i think he's a good player but im unsure if he deserves all this hype and excitment! Im tired from checking the media non stop to see if we have signed him yet! Can anyone tell me what he is gonna offer Rangers if he actually signs?

Believe he will sign for Rangers! Think it will be after the weekend tho. I think he will play his last game on sunday away to Sturm Graz. Will be a GEM of a signing!!

I like the boy. I think this will be his first full pre-season injury free. Think he could step up to the mark this season. Lot of pressure on him this year and he knows it. He knows what he has to do!! Wish him all the best!

There has been no contact made for either Goodwillie or Conway from Rangers.

Yes and i've read them all but sorry there not reliable.

I do know about it as i've been hearing about it all day. All im saying is I dont think Rangers would sign him and I would be surprised if we did. I do realise we need both left and right midfielders but this boy is not the answer. A player i would sign would be the boy Conway from Dundee United but don't think we are interested in him either.

and how would you know? Because he's not the type of player that Rangers are looking for. I've heard nothing about this boy coming to Rangers.

I think too many people are getting carried away with this story. Rangers are NOT interested in this player!!

Thomson is on 12k at Rangers and has been offerd 18k at Boro!! FACT!!