Lewis Ferguson was willing to sign for Rangers this summer, claims his dad Derek.
The Ibrox side were strongly linked with their former academy player for weeks earlier in the window, and it was one the majority of fans wanted to see their club get over the line.
However, Bologna were looking for €15million-€20m to part with the central midfielder. Derek previously hinted there was contact between the two clubs, which he branded a waste of time on Rangers' part given the finances that would be required.
He has now revealed the 27-year-old was open to moving back to Scotland with his boyhood club
Ferguson Sr told the All About The Gers podcast: "There was a conversation going on there, but I don't think there was a bid. That is what I am aware of. He was willing to come, I'll say it.
"I have said it before, he is a big boy, he deals with it himself, he will come to me at times. He looks after his own business, but he does bounce things off me. I did know about that, but I'm not privy to everything. I don't think I should be."
Fegrguson is no longer the captain of the Serie A side after the armband was handed to Riccardo Orsolini.
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His father refuted suggestions his boy had been "stripped" of the captaincy.
He added: "He's not been stripped of the captaincy. Riccardo Orsolini, who has been there for seven/eight years and has just signed a six year contract - so he is probably going to finish his career at Bologna - so him and De Silvestri, who is the club captain and looks after all the stuff off the pitch.
"So, Lewis has been the captain the last two/three years, and they approached him. They asked him if he would be willing to give up the captaincy to Riccardo, and the team player that Lewis is - because that is they type of player he is, he wants to make sure everybody is alright and looks after everybody - he says 'no problem, that is no problem'.
"I wish he maybe would have consulted me or his brothers, because I will be honest, I didn't want him to give the captaincy up - because that is something that he earned when he went over there.
"They had a look at him, and what he brings to the party - he is a real leader on the park. I said to him 'you shouldn't have given up the captaincy' and I look at Riccardo and I think he is not a leader, for me, he is a winger.
"You need to be a certain type, in my opinion. In my mind I have what a captain should be, and you don't look after yourself you make sure everyone else is right.
"When the chips are down you go after people, and I don't think Riccardo has got that in his locker. The thing is, Lewis has agreed to it.
"We are not too happy as a family, we are a bit upset - we hoped we would get a call to say 'what do you think of this?', but we never even got the call. He is dead relaxed about it."
