Rangers manager Walter Smith has refused to read too much into reports linking Madjid Bougherra with a move to Barcelona after claiming he is now used to the constant speculation surrounding the defender.

Bougherra has apparently been targeted by the Catalan giants - as well as Sevilla - after impressing scouts while on international duty with Algeria at the African Nations Cup.

Smith says he has no idea whether the centre-half is on the La Liga clubs' radar or not, and said: "There seems to have been speculation surrounding him since he came here more or less. We had it last summer and in other transfer windows and he remains here. Hopefully that will be the case next year as well."

He added: "From any player's point of view it would be nice to be linked with Barcelona and top Spanish teams. However accurate or inaccurate that is, I don't know.

"But the only thing that concerns us is that he stays here and plays his football and he has been doing that very well for us.

"He has actually missed quite a number of games this season through injury and then being away at the African Nations Cup.

"It's good to have him back and hopefully he can stay injury-free and play for us in the manner in which he has done. He has been excellent since he came to us."

Smith last week warned that the club's off-field problems "will only get worse" - but stressed that does not automatically mean they will lose players such as Bougherra this summer.

"Someone has got to come in for the players," he pointed out. "People keep saying that someone is going here, there and everywhere. But you have to wait for someone to come in for them before you can have any thoughts about them going anywhere else.

"No-one can go anywhere between now and the summer and our sole focus has to be on what we have at the moment. My main focus is just to make sure we try to keep everyone on the right track and we have had no problem with that with Madjid in the past."