Kyrgiakos can help decide future

Sotirios Kyrgiakos is wanted by Rangers

Rangers manager Alex McLeish hopes to keep Sotirios Kyrgiakos and believes the defender can play a key part in resolving his own future.

The player is at the centre of a messy contractual row between the Scottish champions and Panathinaikos.

"I want him back," said McLeish. "He knows I want him back. It's probably down to Soto.

"There is the agent side, lawyers, stuff to be unravelled. I think he loves the whole Rangers identity."

Panathinaikos say they expect Kyrgiakos' registration papers to be returned immediately.

The player's loan period at Rangers has officially ended but the Ibrox side believe they can now sign him on a free transfer.

However, the Greeks say they have extended his contract by a year.

"The Greek federation has already asked the Scottish federation to send the player's registration back here," said club spokesman Theologos Alexandratos.

Kyrgiakos will be expected here on Friday unless an agreement can be reached before then Panathinaikos spokesman Theologos Alexandratos

"Because the loan period has expired, we will be sending the Scottish federation a reminder that we expect the player's registration.

"The Scottish federation is obliged to send back the player's cards."

Rangers are understood to believe that Panathinaikos breached Fifa rules by re-registering the 25-year-old while he was still technically a Rangers player.

But Panathinaikos insist that the Greek practice of allowing clubs to add an extra year to contracts was already accepted by Fifa and that ruling against it would lead to contractual anarchy across the nation.

He said: "Almost 80% of contracts in Greece are like that - either two years plus one or three years plus one.

"All these players would be able to go free if Fifa did not recognise that the clubs have the power to renew contracts.

"This is acceptable in Greece and when the player signed he knew this would happen. It was not a condition that was added afterwards."

When Kyrgiakos joined Rangers in January it was thought that the Scottish club would pay an additional fee of about £1m, on top of an initial sum, to make the move permanent.

But Panathinaikos say the player will now have to report back for duty in Athens next Friday unless Rangers chief executive Martin Bain can come up with an acceptable proposal - or another club comes in, with Bolton monitoring the situation.

Alexandratos said: "We have read reports that Mr Bain was coming to Athens but we have certainly not seen him yet.

"Our preparations start on Friday so Kyrgiakos will be expected here on that day, unless an agreement can be reached before then."

Whatever happens, Kyrgiakos will not be joining the rest of the Rangers squad on the pre-season trip to Canada on Monday.

He and Hamed Namouchi have been given extra time off following their involvement in the Confederations Cup.