It has been claimed that Rangers once turned down the chance to sign Napoli star Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Former Ibrox hero Craig Moore insists that his old side had the opportunity to buy the Georgian attacker before he shot to international fame for his performances with the Italian giants.

Kvaratskhelia has been on sensational form for the Serie A outfit this season and has been touted for a mega-money move in the future.

He has 11 goals to his name so far this campaign, as well as nine assists for Luciano Spalletti's side.

His productivity has helped Napoli into a position where it looks all but certain for them to lift the Serie A title. 

They are also well within a shout of winning the Champions League, as they marched through to the last eight of the competition last night.

The 22-year-old departed the Georgian side Dinamo Batumi last summer for Napoli.

Kvaratskhelia made a brief return to his homeland and had been on the books at Rubin Kazan, but left the club following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last year.

And off the back of his £10million transfer to Italy, Moore claims to have attempted to negotiate a move for the player to Southampton on behalf of management company 4-5-1.

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The Australian then states he floated a deal to Rangers in an attempt to bring Kvaratskhelia to the UK.

Moore told The Go Radio Football Show: "It's a funny story. He was in Russia and due to all the issues, he went back to Georgia to play at Batumi.

"I had the mandate to try and get him to Southampton with the management company I am working with.

"Southampton at £11-12million - which was the figure at the time - said that's probably not something we are looking at, and it's still a bit of a risk.

"The English clubs like to see you perform somewhere else before and then pay overs, which is madness for me.

"I did throw the little Malteser at Rangers saying 'is this not somebody you could maybe look at? Get him in on loan with an option to buy, because it's not going to happen here in the UK'.

"Rangers were set at that time with their recruitment and their signings, and the next minutes I saw him pop up at Napoli for £10million.

"And then this season with what he has done in the Champions League and what he has done domestically he is probably worth about £80-90million."

Further pressed by host Paul Cooney, Moore concluded: "You are trying to get me into trouble. He was quite unknown and was an exciting player, and he is having a wonderful time. He has a huge, huge career ahead of him."