Frosinone president Maurizio Stirpe has reinforced the Italian club's determination to keep Fares Ghedjemis despite reported interest from Rangers this summer.
The Algerian winger has been linked with a move to Ibrox during the transfer window, with Italian reports claiming Rangers and Celtic have both seen bids rejected as Frosinone hold out for a significantly higher fee.
Now, Stirpe has explained why the newly promoted Serie A side are reluctant to cash in on one of their prized assets.
Speaking at the club's season launch, the Frosinone president admitted there was a time when selling Ghedjemis would have been unavoidable but insisted that situation has now changed.
"If I had been left alone, selling Ghedjemis would have been a necessity tomorrow morning," Stirpe said.
"Today, it's something we can even ignore."
Algerian's importance to Serie A newcomers
Those comments underline Frosinone's improved financial position and explain why the club are resisting offers for the 23-year-old despite growing interest from across Europe.
According to Italian outlet Alessio Porcu, Rangers have seen an offer worth around €9 million rejected, while Celtic are also reported to have failed with a bid in the region of €7 million.
Frosinone are instead believed to value Ghedjemis between €15 million and €20 million, a figure that would comfortably eclipse Rangers' current transfer record if the Ibrox club decided to pursue a deal.
The report also states that Frosinone manager Massimiliano Alvini views Ghedjemis as one of the key players in his plans for the upcoming Serie A campaign.
After scoring 15 goals from a wide attacking role last season, the winger is expected to feature prominently in Alvini's preferred 4-2-3-1 system as the club targets survival in Italy's top flight.
Frosinone sporting director Guido Angelozzi has also echoed the president's stance, explaining that while every club has a duty to listen to offers, the intention is to retain the player unless an exceptional proposal arrives.
For Rangers, the latest comments provide further evidence of the scale of the challenge involved in completing any deal.
Inside Ibrox understands Derek McInnes' side have monitored Ghedjemis throughout the summer, but the financial demands involved have caused the club to reassess their position.
With Rangers having already strengthened significantly during the current window and other areas of the squad still requiring attention, meeting Frosinone's valuation would represent an unprecedented outlay.
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