Jefferies warns off Boyd suitors

Jim Jeffries is hoping that Kris Boyd will sign a new deal at Kilmarnock.

Boyd has hot a rich vein of form this season, scoring 13 goals in 16 league games, and his impressive displays have seen him linked with Glasgow giants Rangers.

Jefferies insists the club are hopeful their most valuable asset will put pen-to-paper on a new deal, but if he succumbs to the lure of a larger club then they are determined to receive a substantial transfer fee.

"Of course [we don't want to sell best players]," Jefferies told Sky Sports News.

"We've made an offer to Kris, put it on the table, and we'd love to keep him.

"We know he's ambitious, we can't compete with the sort of money he could earn at a big club, we have to accept that.

"But we will try our hardest until the day he leaves, the contract will be on the table.

"He's playing well at the moment, his stock is going up.

"I'm sure a few clubs will be interested come the transfer window, at least if he does go we'll get a decent amount of money out of it and will keep Kilmarnock going well."

Kilmarnock face Boyd's reputed suitors Rangers on Sunday, who, despite qualifying for the knockout phase of the UEFA Champions League, are currently on the longest winless streak of their history.

Jefferies believes the current state of The SPL, with The Gers languishing in fifth, is evidence that the gap between the Old Firm and the perennial also-rans is closing, and the Kilmarnock chief insists the development is a good thing for football north of the border.

"Things are getting a bit tighter, they're coming back to the rest of the clubs and the league proves that," Jefferies continued.

"It's great for Scottish football.

"We're doing terrific to be in the top four, you've got to set your sights and look above you.

"It's an eight-point gap to Hibs and we want to try and close that because the Hibs game is on the Saturday.

"Confidence is a great thing in football, we've got plenty of it at the moment.

"We're going well with a good young side, scoring plenty of goals, and are looking forward to the game on Sunday.

"Confidence comes and goes, Rangers in the league are suffering from that with some of their players and it puts pressure on others.

"But I'm sure that will return, hopefully we can keep that confidence low on Sunday then they can get it back."