McCoist joins chase for in-demand Allan

Ally McCoist has urged Scott Allan to opt for Rangers over a potential move to the Premier League. West Bromwich last week agreed a fee, believed to be about £400,000, with Dundee United for the midfielder, who has also been linked with Celtic. McCoist has made no secret of his interest in the 20-year-old, who has made just seven appearances for the Tannadice side, and believes he could have a bright future at Ibrox.

He said: "We knew there would be interest from Celtic and we know there is interest from down south with West Brom. I've spoken to Scott and I'm really keen for him to come. I await his decision. I just think he is very forward-thinking. I've seen him a good few times and he sees a pass forward and he can split a defence with a pass. He's a talented boy, one of the most talented boys in the country at the moment.

"I still think there is a long way to go for Scott and when we were chatting to him I did mention that to him. Hopefully, his progression would be at this club rather than anywhere else."

McCoist hopes the fact that Allan is a Rangers fan may sway his decision in favour of the Scottish champions. He added: "It might, you would hope it would maybe influence him a little bit. He's got a big decision to make and he will discuss that with his family and we will await his decision."

Another player McCoist could be tempted to make a January bid for is the former Rangers striker Kris Boyd, who looks set for a return to British football after terminating his contract with Turkish side Eskisehirspor following a dispute over unpaid wages. The Rangers manager refused to rule out a return to Ibrox for Boyd, but said no contact had been made with the player or his representatives. McCoist said: "We've not heard anything. I'm in absolutely no position to rule anybody out. Unfortunately, I'm in no position to count anybody in. Kris has got an absolutely fantastic record here. But it would be very unfair of me to say we've got an interest in anybody.It wouldn't be fair to Kris, it wouldn't be fair to anybody. There is no truth in any real direct interest at the moment but it's certainly an area we are looking at."

Boyd spent one season at Middlesbrough after leaving Ibrox and was loaned to Nottingham Forest in March, before making the move to Turkey. Asked if the 28-year-old is now realising the "grass is not always greener" after quitting Rangers, McCoist said: "You would have to ask Kris that, to be honest. I can't answer that question because I was lucky enough to spend 15 years here as a player and the grass was perfect for me for those 15 years. I'm unable to answer the question. All I can say is I'm delighted I never moved."

McCoist echoed former Rangers manager Walter Smith's assertion that retaining the services of Nikica Jelavic is crucial to the club's title hopes this season.The Croatian striker was the subject of a failed £6.5m bid from Leicester in August and has been linked with a January switch to Liverpool.

McCoist said: "I think it's staring everybody in the face – if you want to win the league title, you need to keep your best players. Walter is absolutely right. Nikica Jelavic is one of our better players. I think it's safe to say you want to keep as strong a squad as possible to make your challenge as effective as it can be. Nikica is no different from our other top players, we want to try to keep them all. You wouldn't want to lose anybody like that."