Newcastle United have been offered a raft of Rangers players for this month's January market.

The Daily Mail says agent Willie McKay touted skipper Barry Ferguson, midfielder Pedro Mendes, keeper Allan McGregor, Charlie Adam, Chris Burke and Brahim Hemdani to the St James' Park club.

Rangers only learned of the move when Newcastle director of football Dennis Wise called manager Walter Smith to enquire about a loan deal for Mendes.

McKay insists he took his lead from a conversation with Rangers chief executive Martin Bain concerning a contract negotiation for reserve player Jordan McMillan.

Bain is alleged to have then given the Glaswegian agent a list of players available for transfer but no official authorisation to sell them.

An angry Gers chairman Sir David Murray said: "There was a conversation and he (McKay) asked Martin who was available, but that did not give him a mandate to approach other clubs.

"Mendes' agent phoned me and was furious his player was being offered to another club.'

However, an unrepentant McKay last night told the Daily Mail: "If I have a conversation with Martin and he tells me so and so is available for x million pounds, so and so for x million pounds and someone else for £500,000, then I take that as a mandate to find them clubs.

"Martin was just doing his job and he's good at that job - just as I know the people and contacts that make me good at mine. 'It may be that Sir David Murray has reacted the way he has because he has been taking so much flak. But I have already spoken to Martin this morning and, as far as I'm concerned, everything is fine with Rangers.

"One thing I will say is that I will never go out there and do something regarding a player without a club first telling me to find out what they might get for that player.

"Clubs know I have a lot of players and know a lot of people in the game."