Swedish side GAIS have insisted they are owed compensation from Mervan Celik’s move to Rangers and say the Ibrox club tried to avoid paying a fee for the player.

Celik signed for Rangers in January under freedom of contract after leaving the Allsvenskan club at the end of his deal. It is understood Rangers understood there would be no sum paid for signing the player.

However, under FIFA rules, a fee of around £240,000 is due to the Gothenburg club as compensation for their time developing the player, provided they had taken steps to try and keep Celik on their books.

GAIS have claimed that Rangers tried to land the player for free by suggesting that the Swedish side could not prove that they had offered a contract to remain at the club. Both Celik and GAIS say that a deal was tabled but refused by the player.

"There wasn't even a loophole,” GAIS sporting director Mats Persson told the Scottish Sun.

“Rangers took a chance that we would not have a receipt to prove we offered him a contract.

"But it feels more like a desperate attempt to avoid paying.

"We've done everything exactly as we should. We could not have done any more. Our assistant manager Kjell Pettersson has spoken to Mervan and he thinks it's sad that we've come to this.

"We have not yet passed the date when Rangers had to pay the fee, so now we wait and see."

The club are reportedly prepared to take the matter to world football’s governing body if payment is not made on time.