No offers for Jelavic, Rapid say
Rapid Vienna bosses have once more claimed they received no specific offer for Nikica Jelavic, while Scottish media claim Glasgow Rangers are about to snatch the striker.Rapid executive manager Alfred Hörtnagl said today (Thurs): “Theres no tangible offer on our desk nothing we can negotiate about.”The Croat scored twice in Tuesdays 3-0 win over Bulgarian cup champs PFC Beroe Stara Zagora which sent Rapid into the final knockout qualification round for this seasons main UEFA Europa League stage.Jelavic became a target for top clubs such as Benfica and Everton FC after netting three times in two matches against Celtic Glasgow in last seasons Europa League group stage. The 24-year-old also found the net against Aston Villa and Hamburger SV.Now sports dailies claim Glasgow Rangers who currently are scouring the market for a new striker are ready to offer around four million Euros for Jelavic who achieved a comeback in his national team after joining Rapid two years ago.Hörtnagl stressed Jelavic was not allowed to speak out about current rumours, but the former Zulte Waregem ace told Scottish papers about a move to Rangers: “Im ready to take on a new challenge. I’m keeping my fingers crossed the move materialises. I have always dreamed of playing in Britain and this is my big chance.”The fan favourite added: “I hope Rapid will grant me this favour in return for my goals and my endless fight for the club.”Rangers manager Walter Smith is pressed to sign at least one strong striker after Nacho Novo and Kris Boyd left the club earlier this summer.Rapid bosses meanwhile fear a fan revolt if they flog Jelavic whose contract runs for one more year before the current transfer window shuts on 31 August.Club officials came under fire for selling Stefan Maierhofer to Wolverhampton Wanderers and Erwin Hoffer to SSC Napoli last summer. The two strikers found the net 50 times in the 2008/2009 season between them.Maierhofer in the meantime went on to MSV Duisburg on loan, while Napoli chiefs agreed with 1. FC Kaiserslautern bosses over a one-year loan deal for Hoffer. Both strikers said they hoped to make a comeback in the national team playing in Germany after a doomed season in England and Italy respectively.Meanwhile, Bundesliga champions Red Bull Salzburg march on in the UEFA Champions League qualification after beating Cypriot team AC Omonia 4-1 yesterday. Last weeks first leg ended in a 1-1 draw.The Austrian Bundesliga continues with three matches on Saturday and a further two on Sunday. All of the fixtures will be preceded by a minute of silence for former Wacker Innsbruck captain Theo Grüner who lost a long battle against cancer at the age of 33 earlier this week.The Austrian Bundesliga table after three rounds:Magna Wiener Neustadt, 7 pointsSturm Graz, 7Austria Vienna, 7SV Ried, 6Wacker Innsbruck, 4Kapfenberg, 4Rapid Vienna, 3Red Bull Salzburg, 1LASK Linz, 0SV Mattersburg, 0