Rangers’ hopes of being allowed to play in the Scottish Premier (SPL) next season appear dead in the water after a fifth club said that they will vote against the proposal.

Aberdeen joined Inverness, Dundee United, Hearts and Hibernian in publicly announcing their opposition to a ‘newco’ Rangers being admitted to the SPL.

Rangers require an 8-4 majority for the ‘newco’ – formed after the original club went into liquidation earlier this month – to be included in the top flight next season when all SPL clubs vote on the issue at a general meeting on July 4.

Rangers themselves are allowed to vote but they needed seven others to vote in their favour.

“Traditionally we have preferred not to make public our voting intentions, but in light of the level of interest and the fact other clubs have chosen to show their hand, on this occasion I can confirm it is our intention to oppose readmission to the SPL for any Rangers NewCo,” said Aberdeen chairman Stewart Milne in a statement.

The vacancy in Scotland’s top flight could instead be taken by either relegated Dunfermline or First Division runners-up Dundee.

Elsewhere, on another turbulent day for the fallen Glasgow giants, prosecutors ordered police to open a criminal investigation into the takeover of the club by Craig Whyte in May 2011.

Businessman Whyte bought an 85% shareholding in Rangers for £1 from previous owner Sir David Murray and made several pledges in terms of future investment and paying off the club’s bank debt.

However, Rangers went into administration on February 14 this year following court action from UK tax officials and were consigned to liquidation earlier this month.

The club’s administrators announced that Rangers had failed to pay about £9 million in tax since Whyte’s takeover.

They also revealed that the club had paid off a debt to Lloyds Banking Group from a £24.4 million capital injection from investment firm Ticketus.