RANGERS winger Barrie McKay is at the centre of a transfer tug-of-war between Nottingham Forest and Cardiff as he edges towards the Ibrox exit door.

SportTimes can reveal that the Championship clubs are both interested in a deal for the winger after he fell out of favour with boss Pedro Caixinha.

McKay turned down the Gers’ offer of a contract extension on improved terms earlier this year and has now entered the final twelve months of his deal.

Read more: Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday settles in at Gabala

That has alerted Forest and Cardiff and Rangers will look to cash-in this summer rather than risk losing him for free at the end of the campaign as Caixinha continues to overhaul his Ibrox squad.

Striker Joe Garner has returned south of the border already as he agreed a deal with Ipswich, while Andy Halliday clinched a loan switch to Gabala last week.

Clint Hill, Philippe Senderos, Emerson Hyndman and Jon Toral have also left Ibrox since the end of the season as Caixinha attempts to clear out up to 14 unwanted players from his squad.

And it looks like McKay has now made his last appearance for the Gers as he gets set to choose where he will be playing his football next season.

Former Gers boss Mark Warburton is a long-time admirer of McKay and is keen to take the 22-year-old to the City Ground ahead of the new campaign.

Read more: Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday settles in at Gabala

But he faces competition from Cardiff for the forward’s services as he plots a return to Ibrox to recruit one of the key men from his Championship winning side.

The Bluebirds missed out on a deal for Jonny Hayes as he clinched a move to Celtic from Aberdeen last month and boss Neil Warnock has now turned his attentions to McKay.

A fee of around £750,000 could be required for Rangers to do business but the winger now appears to be heading south of the border this summer.

Boss Caixinha ordered McKay to train with the Under-20 squad last week and he was not part of the side that beat Progres Niederkorn in the Europa League qualifier on Thursday night.

Read more: Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday settles in at Gabala

Defender Rob Kiernan, midfielders Matt Crooks and Harry Forrester and forwards Michael O’Halloran and Joe Dodoo were also omitted from the Light Blues group but it is McKay who could be next to leave Ibrox.

The arrivals of wide men Dalcio and Daniel Candeias have pushed the Scotland international down the Ibrox pecking order this summer and Rangers remain in the hunt to sign Hearts captain Jamie Walker.

A move for Norwich midfielder Graham Dorrans is also still in the pipeline and the Gers are confident that a deal can be done to bring the 30-year-old to Ibrox as Caixinha looks to add to his eight signings so far this summer.