Rangers target Stathis Tavlaridis has again been told he will not be allowed to sign for the Scottish champions.
The Lille defender said on Wednesday that he wanted to move to Rangers, but club president Michel Seydoux insists he will not leave.

"The player has known for a long time that he will not go," he told L'Equipe.

In any case, Rangers manager Alex McLeish said on Thursday that they could not afford Tavlaridis at the current time.

"(Lille) have always done what they said," added Seydoux.

"He should be careful with what he says. Lille is the club that made him what he is."

Tavlaridis had warned that he would not be able to give his all for Lille if they stood in the way of a possible move

The 25-year-old Greece international was the subject of a £1.38m bid from Rangers in June.

The club managers told me to stay for one season and then they would sell me

Stathis Tavlaridis

"I am not satisfied," said Tavlaridis. "I don't want to stay with Lille, I want to play with Rangers.

"If I stay, I will not be at 100% for Lille. I haven't the enthusiasm nor the courage to keep playing here."

The Scottish champions' interest seemed to wane after they signed Jose-Karl Pierre-Fanfan from Paris St Germain.

It was thought it could be re-ignited if Tavlaridis' Greece international colleague, Sotirios Kyrgiakos, fails to arrive on a permanent deal after a successful spell on loan from Panathinaikos.

"I don't understand how Lille want to keep a player who does not want to stay," added Tavlaridis.

"A lot of supporters like me, my team-mates also like me but the club managers did not take me seriously."

Lille resisted a bid for Tavlaridis from PSG last year, with the Parisians prepared to offer him a four-year contract.

"When PSG were interested in me, the club managers told me to stay for one season and then they would sell me," Tavlaridis added.

"But the club do not respect what they say, they consider me as a piece of meat."