FABIEN BARTHEZ'S agent has revealed that Rangers boss Paul Le Guen turned down the opportunity to sign the France No.1.

Instead, the manager remains focused on bringing freed Paris St Germain keeper Lionel Letizi to Glasgow.

Barthez, a free agent after quitting Marseille at the end of the season, was offered to Le Guen last week after Dutchman Ronald Waterreus failed to agree a new deal.

But with the manager already locked in discussions with Letizi, he decided the overall package to bring in the former Manchester United keeper would prove too costly.

Barthez topped a recent poll of French football's highest earners with his reputed £40,000-a-week salary at the Velodrome and Letizi's demands don't come anywhere near that level.

Barthez's agent Jean-Marie Cantona, brother of Eric, said: "I know Paul Le Guen very well from his time in France and had a friendly discussion about the possibility of Fabien going to Rangers.

"I knew Paul wanted to change his goalkeeping position at Rangers but he didn't want to take on Fabien. He has other options and I respect him for that."

The spurned opportunity to sign Barthez is a further indication Le Guen won't merely be bringing in players based on reputation.

Toulouse are ready to offer Barthez an emotional return to his first club and as he edges closer to staying in France, so too do Rangers towards sealing a deal for his one-time international understudy Letizi.

The twice-capped 33-year-old, has opened talks on a two-year deal and despite strong interest from Nantes and Ligue 1's new arrivals Valenciennes, Letizi has made Rangers his first option.

His advisors believe a deal could be completed by the weekend, in time for Letizi to start pre-season training at Murray Park on Tuesday and his agent Eric Castagnino said: "There are other options for Lionel but at the moment we aren't interested in discussing them.

"We only want to listen to what Rangers have to say and I do believe something will happen there. He's very interested in a move to Scotland and we'll see what develops."
Daily Record

Meanwhile Rangers last night dismissed reports that they wanted to sign Roma striker Shabani Nonda as 'rubbish'.

A club official said: "The manager is not interested in bringing the player to Ibrox?full stop."
Daily Express