NAISMITH BID IS AN INSULT TO STEVEN AND KILLIE

Jun 10 2007 Rob Maclean

RANGERS added insult to embarrassment with their bungled attempt to sign Kilmarnock star Steven Naismith and face being trumped in the transfer market again by Celtic.

Their offer of a £200,000 down payment for the award-winning striker with a further £200,000 to follow next summer was insulting to the player and his club.

Everyone wants a bargain buy and Rangers have the only formal bid on the table at the moment. But their valuation of Naismith was completely unrealistic.

I wonder if Ibrox manager Walter Smith, who was in the USA at a supporters' convention when the offending document arrived at Rugby Park, is fully supportive of the way this has been done.

Smith (below) didn't make the move himself. He has a list of targets and offers are lodged on his behalf.

I can't believe that he would sanction a £400,000 bid for Naismith when Killie are already talking in seven figures for their prize asset.

And so they should be. The 20-year-old scored 19 goals in the last campaign and was named the SPL's Young Player of the Year.

He's also under contract at Kilmarnock until 2010 so there's no need to sell him until chairman Michael Johnston receives an offer that's too good to refuse.

And, while not wanting to hold him back, manager Jim Jefferies would be delighted to keep Naismith for another campaign as he targets a European place for his over-performing top-six regulars.

But holding on to Scotland's top young talent seems unlikely - even though much of the interest in Killie's top scorer has still to be transferred into bids.

George Burley's Southampton fancied Naismith a year ago and were set to make an offer in the region of £1 million including add-ons.

However, chairman Rupert Lowe's resignation got in the way of any transaction.

More recently Coca-Cola Championship newcomers Bristol City came knocking on Kilmarnock's door but have yet to make a bid.

So how much is young Steven worth? I reckon, in terms of the total transfer package, Killie are looking for around £2m.

That's what Rangers paid Hibs for midfielder Kevin Thomson and less than half the amount Celtic put in the Easter Road coffers to buy Scott Brown.

A comparison with Thomson's value is valid. The Ibrox new boy is going to be a great player but he plays a holding role and can't claim to have Naismith's match-changing qualities.

The Killie striker made his Scotland debut in the Faroes last week but Thomson wasn't even in the squad - although Alex McLeish has far more options in midfield than he does in attack.

We're talking about an impact player in Naismith, a goalscorer. If Thomson was worth £2m it would seem strange to value the Killie kid at any less.

All of which makes Rangers' down payment offer seem ridiculous.

The Ibrox club saw at close quarters last month what they would get for their money.

Naismith's winner at Ibrox was something special. His crashing half-volley from Grant Murray's cross was an ideal example of what he can do. Perfect poise and stunning technique.

Steven would love to follow in the footsteps of old team-mate Kris Boyd and continue his career at Rangers. But until serious money is spoken about, that won't happen.

And Celtic will be tempted by the prospect of trampling all over their biggest rivals to yet again come out on top in a transfer tussle.

Gordon Strachan has his finger on the pulse and could continue his cherry-picking in the SPL which already runs to almost an entire team.

So far, he has plucked this little lot from other teams in Scotland's top flight: Mark Brown, Mark Wilson, Gary Caldwell, Steven Pressley, Paul Hartley, Scott Brown, Derek Riordan, Scott McDonald and Chris Killen. Hartley, Scott Brown and McDonald were all wanted by Rangers and I'm led to believe they were beaten to the punch on ex-Hibs striker Killen as well.

Two-in-a-row title winners Celtic are operating from a position of strength and still have more signings to make with the Champions League in mind.

Rangers have hardly set the heather alight with their acquisitions so far - Kirk Broadfoot, Alan Gow and Jean-Claude Darcheville.

The emergence of home-grown stars like Allan McGregor, Alan Hutton and Charlie Adam has been encouraging but Smith knows he needs to add more quality to mount a serious title challenge next season.

Some Gers fans already think their heroes won't be able to compete and see last week's embarrassing effort to sign Naismith as solid evidence.