STEWART MILNE, the Aberdeen chairman, has said he would reject an approach from Rangers for manager Derek McInnes.
The Dons boss has been tipped as a contender for the Ibrox vacancy after leading his side to a six-point lead over the Gers in the Ladbrokes Premiership table this season.
But Milne insists that he would not allow their top-flight rivals to hold talks with McInnes if such an approach is made.
Read more: Stewart Robertson: Rangers are very close to appointing new man
When asked by BBC Scotland if he would let Rangers speak to the manager, Milne said: "No. We want to retain Derek at Aberdeen."
McInnes has led Aberdeen to the League Cup in 2014, their first trophy in almost 20 years, and two runners-up finishes since taking over at Pittodrie in March 2013.
However, Milne believes that the 45-year-old still has goals to achieve in the North-East, identifying improvement on the European stage as one target for the future.
"We'll work hard to make sure we can keep Derek here as long as we can," he said.
"It wasn't just a short-term job. It was to build this club into something it's capable of being.
Read more: Stewart Robertson: Rangers are very close to appointing new man
"They've made tremendous progress in the past four years, but Derek would openly admit that we still have a long way to go to, to make sure that we're not just a top club in Scottish football, but that we're starting to rebuild that reputation in Europe again.
"I'd like to believe that Derek started something off - he thinks he's maybe halfway through the journey, it's maybe a third. We want to see him here to finish the job that he took on."
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