KRIS BOYD'S departure from Rangers won't spark a fire sale of their top stars during the current transfer window.

The Ibrox striker is weighing up the option of joining former manager Alex McLeish at Birmingham City as the two clubs edge closer to agreeing a £3.75million deal for the man who has netted 20 goals this season.

But supporters fearing Boyd will be joining a host of other key players such as captain Barry Ferguson, Pedro Mendes, Steven Davis and Madjid Bougherra in quitting the club this month can rest easy.

SportsTimes understands there will be no financial necessity for manager Walter Smith to lose any more of his top talents during the current transfer, window providing the sale of Boyd goes through as expected this week.

It's believed the Ibrox club have been forced to try and generate £3m this month to help balance the books during the current credit crunch and had braced themselves for having to accept the first decent offer for one of their leading players.

Now, though, any future decisions to sell players will be made on football grounds rather than financial ones and Smith has been assured he won't be forced to rip his team apart further.

Of course, if an offer is tabled for a player that is too good to turn down - such as the £9m fee Spurs made for Alan Hutton this time last year - then Smith will be forced to consider it.

An Ibrox source confirmed: "The situation is simply enough - a certain amount of money had to be raised during the transfer window which meant a player with a transfer value of around £3m would have to be sold.

"It basically meant that every single player was available for transfer for the right price but it just so happened Kris Boyd was the first player to bid for.

"It's impossible to turn the offer down in case no further bids are made for the other players who have been linked with moves.

"Providing Kris agrees to join Birmingham, and the two clubs agree a fee, then Rangers will be in exactly the same position they were in previously which is money will be tight but there is no need to sell unless they feel it's too good to turn down.

"So the other players linked with transfers - Ferguson, Mendes and Bougherra - don't have to be sold. If they do go, it won't be to balance the books."

Chairman David Murray confirmed that the club will allow Boyd to open talks with Birmingham if they two clubs agree a fee.

It's thought an initial bid of around £3m has been rejected but an increase of £750,000 would see the deal go through.

That extra sum would cover the 20% sell-on clause with Kilmarnock and leave Rangers clearing the required £3m. And Murray said: "Birmingham have made an enquiry.

"We talked about money but we haven't agreed a fee."

Newcastle United are believed to be interested in Ferguson, although Rangers still insist no contact has been made.