Giovanni van Bronckhorst is not being considered for the vacant Rangers manager post despite growing speculation he is a strong contender, according to Sky Sports.
The broadcaster claim on their website that the Feyenoord manager is not on the shortlist of director of football Mark Allen.
Sky Sports report that former Club Brugge manager Michel Preud’homme and ex-England boss Steve McClaren, who have all been linked with the role, are also not on the radar of Allen.
It is said that Rangers’ search for a new boss is likely to stretch into at least the beginning of next week.
Aberdeen manager Derek McInnes has been the hot favourite for the vacant post since Caixinha was sacked and there have been reports that he will be appointed by the weekend.
Van Bronckhorst, who spent three trophy-laden years at Rangers from 1998 before joining Arsenal for £12million, had been a rank outsider to succeed Caixinha but he has leapfrogged previous second favourite Graeme Murty in the betting.
The 42-year-old is currently in charge of Feyenoord, who he guided to the Eredivisie title last season in what was the Dutch side’s first league success in 18 years.
But Feyenoord languish sixth in the table after a poor start – 12 points behind leaders PSV – and are bottom of their Champions League group after four consecutive defeats.
The former Holland international who won 106 caps for his country, claimed two titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup under Dick Advocaat in Glasgow.
OPINION
There would be dancing in the streets of the blue half of Glasgow if Van Bronckhorst was appointed the club’s new manager. But, it now appears that will not be the case after reports claimed Rangers had made an approach for the Ibrox great, who was an outstanding player and has made the leap into a top-class manager. In two full seasons at Feyenoord, his first managerial post, GVB, as he is known to the Rangers faithful, has won the Dutch Cup and steered the club to their first league title in 18 years ahead of big guns Ajax and PSV Eindhoven. Reports of the a pursuit of Van Bronckhorst were immediately treated with a heavy dose of salt by the Rangers faithful, and that stance is a sensible one.