Andy Halliday set for loan switch to Qabala

The boyhood Gers supporter has been told he is no longer part of Pedro Caixinha's plans and is free to leave this summer.

Former Livingston player Halliday has sorted his Ibrox exit out just 24 hours after it emerged he had been left out of the Light Blues' Europa League squad.

He is currently heading to Salzburg, where Qabala are holding a summer training camp ahead of their new season.

Talks are planned but the 25-year-old is expected to seal a 12-month loan deal.

Qabala finished second in the Azerbaijan Premier League and will kick-off their own Europa League campaign against the winners of the tie involving Georgians Dinamo Batumi and Jagiellonia Bialystok of Poland next month.

Meanwhile, Press Association Sport understands Rangers have been told Aberdeen midfielder Kenny McLean is not for sale.

The Light Blues lodged an offer in the region of £300,000 last week but that has been booted out by Dons chiefs.

They value the Scotland squad member closer to the £1million mark but are reluctant to sell to their Ladbrokes Premiership rivals after watching former club captain Ryan Jack make a switch to Govan earlier this summer.

Rangers have also made moves for Norwich midfielder Graham Dorrans and Hearts winger Jamie Walker.

So far their offers have come up short but Gers managing director Stewart Robinson has suggested the club is ready to return to the negotiating table.

The Ibrox chief - who says boss Caixinha has landed all of his main transfer targets this summer after signing eight new faces - told RangersTV: "We have been delighted with the signings so far, it has been a positive summer for us. Pedro had laid out his targets and spent a lot of time on it.

"[Chairman] Dave King said this recently but we had to pay compensation to bring Pedro in but the whole reason for that was to allow him to come in to assess the squad and allow him to develop a player plan for the coming season and beyond.

"It's great to say that we managed to get all of the targets he has asked for so far and there are another couple that we are still chasing and hopefully, touch wood, we can bring them in in due course as well.

"I think Pedro has been pleased with the way it has gone so far and we have certainly been delighted.

"Life doesn't go in straight lines so you are never quite sure how people are going to react and to have brought so many of them in so quickly has been great.

"We know with the pressure of the Europa League qualifier coming up it was really important to the club that we got off to a good start and to give us the best chance of doing that was bringing in the players we could and giving them the time to bed in."

Gers will return to European competition for the first time in six years when they take on Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn on Thursday night.

Excited supporters have snapped up every ticket going for the Ibrox qualifying clash and Robertson believes the sense of unity swirling round Ibrox can help propel the team forward.

He said: "We obviously had a disappointing season on the pitch last year so again to see that level of supporters is just incredible.

"The backing we have had from the supporters has been nothing short of phenomenal and to see that happening over the summer has been superb.

"I think it has shown with the season tickets, the team back in Europe and the kit deal that as a club everyone is together. I think it is a massive strength of purpose and it shows a unity can be really powerful.

"Hopefully we can keep that going and that is one of our key tasks around the club now.

"We can do that best by making sure the performances on the pitch are better and we are much more competitive this year. Hopefully fans feel they are getting more for their money this season."