Nils Koppen has confirmed that Rangers attempted to sign Abdallah Sima in the summer.
The Ibrox director of football recruitment has admitted offers were made to land the forward on a permanent deal.
However, figures were deemed "unrealistic" with Rangers then moving onto other targets and the Brighton player joining Stade Brest on loan.
Koppen - in an exclusive interview with the Rangers Review - confirmed a transfer pursuit did take place with a significant fee tabled to Brighton.
Discussions took place between the club and Sima's representatives but no deal could be struck to accommodate all parties - even with fees offered higher than that for Oscar Cortes.
Koppen said: “The impression was that we weren’t going to go back for Sima, but that’s not the case.
“We made an effort to bring Sima back to Glasgow permanently with a good offer, a higher fee than the one we agreed for Oscar Cortes.
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"We tried to convince the player and the agent but the numbers were unrealistic so we pushed back on it."
Meanwhile, Koppen is confident Cortes' move to Ibrox will prove a success despite being stinted by injury issues.
He said: “Oscar came in with a blank injury record. No injuries, no scans, everything was perfect,” Koppen says.
“We’re looking into it as a club. I'm still confident in the move to bring him here. We signed him on a five-year deal and still believe in his potential over a longer period."
