Kevin Thelwell sent back to Rangers drawing board as takeover kings watch transfer guru they 'liked' make bold call

Incoming sporting director Kevin Thelwell had reportedly been keen to take an Everton ally with him to Ibrox

New Rangers sporting director Kevin Thelwell has reportedly missed out on bringing a close Everton ally with him to Ibrox as part of the new era.

Toffees transfer guru Thelwell was announced as the Ibrox club's first major summer appointment last month - bringing experience from his time at Wolves and New York Red Bulls to Glasgow once his contract at Goodison Park expires at the end of the season.

With Rangers set to be bankrolled by the imminent American takeover he is unlikely to be the only high-profile addition behind the scenes at the Scottish Premiership side.

Record Sport previously revealed he's also lining up an approach for Everton's academy director Gareth Prosser to Rangers - whom he also spent time with in his previous role at Molineux.

However, one man that won't join him is Everton head of recruitment Dan Purdy - who was reportedly "liked" by the Light Blues.

New CEO Angus Kinnear - who will leave Leeds United later this month - wanted to keep Purdy on Merseyside, according to The Sun, but with his position up for review The Sun claim that he is set to join Wolves.

The 31-year-old was also said to be "chasing" a similar role at Crystal Palace but Molineux is now his "likely destination".

The departure of Thelwell - named as "a key ally" at Goodison by The Athletic - is reportedly a factor in Purdy's decision to walk away from his Everton role.

But should Thelwell look to appoint a new recruitment supremo after American tycoon Andrew Cavenagh and 49ers Enterprises get the keys to Ibrox it now appears he will have to dip into his contacts book.

Technical director Nils Koppen - who stepped up from his role in November last year - currently oversees the club's transfer strategy while also taking on overall responsibility for the club's general football operations.

Follow Record Sport on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all of the up-to-the minute breaking news, video and audio on the SPFL, the Scotland national team and beyond.

You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here.

Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.