EXCLUSIVE

THE buying at Ibrox goes on and selling is not a part of the plan. Rangers yesterday signed Finnish internation- alist keeper Antti Niemi from FC Copenhagen for a fee thought to be around #700,000, and once again, but with a certain finality, told Ajax that Brian Laudrup is not for sale at any price.

Their latest acqusition is the seventh in their overhaul of the team and takes the bill for repairs and improvements to more than #14m. Niemi is the third goalkeeper Rangers have tried to sign this summer as cover, or perhaps a replacement, for Andy Goram, having refused to meet the demands of AZ Alkmaar's Oscar Moens or Parma's Luca Bucci.

Niemi has been highly recommended by Finland's manager, Richard Moller-Nielsen, who is, of course, father of Rangers' new first-team coach Thomas. They also have experience of playing against the 25-year-old Niemi, when they lost 1-0 to FC Copenhagen on their pre-season tour to Denmark last year.

Coventry City had thought that they had signed Niemi and will be disappointed by the news from Ibrox, as will Ajax, who once upon a time thought they had signed Brian Laudrup. The Dutch club will not, however, be making another bid for Laudrup, having been personally warned off by Rangers chairman David Murray.

Ajax president Michael van Praag and fellow director Arie van Os had been reported as saying that they were preparing another offer and that Laudrup was being held to his contract at Ibrox against his wishes. Murray, clearly angered by their statements, made a personal phone call to van Os telling him to stop making these public pronouncements.

''I phoned Mr van Os and asked him why he keeps on saying things like this,'' Murray said yesterday. ''I explained to him once again that Brian is not for sale and is perfectly happy to stay at Ibrox.

''He thanked me for my call and I do not think he will be making any more statements like that. I think he was just carried away with signing Brian's brother, Michael.

''Brian will not be joining him.'' If the weight of the Rangers chairman's person- ality could persuade the single-minded Laudrup to stay at Ibrox, one can only wonder at how clear he made it to Ajax that their approaches are not welcome.

There seems no sign of Rangers ending their spending with Niemi, however. Fiorentina's midfielder, Stefan Schwarz, is the latest player to attract their attention, and negotiations are said to be on-going. As an international team-mate of Sweden's Jonas Thern and Joachim Bjorklund, who are also at Ibrox, he would fit into their plan of building colonies of players from the same country as they try to expand their empire.

One of Rangers' many targets this season, and certainly their most ambitious, Brazil's Ronaldo, has bought out his own contract at Barcelona for #17m to pave the way for a move to Inter-Milan. The player's lawyer, Fernando Rey, said Ronaldo handed in a cheque at the headquarters of the Spanish League yesterday.

''From today, Ronaldo has ceased to be a Barcelona player,'' Rey said. Last week, Inter's president, Massimo Moratti, warned Barcelona that he would go to the civil courts to force them to release the 20-year-old striker from his contract.