ROVERS' top midfield target remains Rangers' Turkish international Tugay Kerimoglu.

The two clubs have agreed a £1.3 million fee but Rovers are yet to gain a work permit for the deal to go through.

Their initial application was rejected by the Home Office but the club has appealed and will shortly present their case to the Football Review Panel -- hoping for the same verdict that saw them gain a permit for keeper Brad Friedel at the second time of asking.

"We are waiting for a date for the review panel. We should hear when that is and hopefully get a date this week," confirmed Rovers secretary Tom Finn.

"Obviously we will make reference to the fact that he is playing with a work permit in Scotland and so has met the criteria there.

"He's a player with a significant international reputation and Graeme Souness will obviously be key to the hearing because Graeme had him before as a player and will be able to speak about the qualities he has.

"We will be putting forward a strong case to hopefully convince them that he is worth a permit."

Tugay's initial application was rejected on the grounds that he had played in 71 per cent, rather than the required three-quarters, of his country's internationals in the last two years.