Rangers go for Palermo defender Goian

Rangers FC manager Ally McCoist has added to his squad on the eve of their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round opener against Malmö FF by signing Dorin Goian from US Città di Palermo.

The 30-year-old centre-back has penned a three-year deal with the Scottish titleholders after both clubs agreed a fee believed to be in the region of €850,000. Goian, who has 37 caps for Romania, is the Ibrox team's third summer signing following the arrivals of Juan Manuel Ortiz and Lee Wallace. However, the former FC Steaua Bucureşti player still requires a work permit and is therefore unlikely to feature against Malmö.

"He is a very experienced centre-back; he is strong, aggressive and obviously very tall," said McCoist, whose team began the defence of their Scottish Premier League title on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Heart of Midlothian FC. "He is definitely the type of player we need because we are a little bit short of cover defensively."

Goian added: "It is a big honour to play for a club such as Rangers with so much history. They are one of the top teams in Europe and they have been playing in the Champions League for many years. When you hear a team like Rangers is interested in you, it can only be a good thing."