Former Rangers hero Craig Moore claims the Ibrox side turned down the chance to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia before he shot to superstardom with Napoli.
Kvaratskhelia has enjoyed an incredible season in Naples as he netted 11 goals and nine assists helping Luciano Spalletti's side to an almost certain Serie A title with the club also eyeing a run for the Champions League trophy this term, after leaving Georgian side Dinamo Batumi last summer. The 22-year-old made a brief return to his homeland having been on the books at Rubin Kazan, but left the club following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Ahead of his his rise to fame off the back of a £10million move to Italy, Moore has claimed on behalf of management company 4-5-1 he attempted to negotiate a move to the English Premier League side Southampton, but they couldn't reach an agreement. The Australian then states he floated a deal to Rangers in an attempt to bring Kvaratskhelia to the British game.
Moore told The Go Radio Football Show: "It's a funny story. He was in Russia and due to all the issues he went back to Georgia to play at Batumi.
"I had the mandate to try and get him to Southampton with the management company I am working with. Southampton at £11-12million - which was the figure at the time - said that's probably not something we are looking at, and it's still a bit of a risk. The English clubs like to see you perform somewhere else before and then pay overs, which is madness for me.
"I did throw the little Malteser at Rangers saying 'is this not somebody you could maybe look at? Get him in on loan with an option to buy, because it's not going to happen here in the UK'. Rangers were set at that time with their recruitment and their signings, and the next minutes I seen him pop up at Napoli for £10million.
"And then this season with what he has done in the Champions League and what he has done domestically he is probably worth about £80-90million. "
He was pressed by host Paul Cooney over the exact time he was offered to Rangers. Moore went on: "You are trying to get me into trouble. He was quite unknown and was an exciting player, and he is having a wonderful time. He has a huge, huge career ahead of him."
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