Glasgow Rangers are reportedly likely to sign Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes, but it remains to be seen when a move will go through.
Are Rangers signing Jose Cifuentes?
Michael Beale and Ibrox officials have acted quickly in the transfer window so far, with a number of new players brought to Glasgow ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Kieran Dowell have all made the moves to Rangers on free transfers after leaving Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Norwich respectively.
Brighton forward Abdallah Sima has arrived on loan, and the club have also splashed the cash on signings from clubs abroad. Forward Sam Lammers arrived from Atalanta in a deal worth €3.5m, and another striker has recently penned Rangers terms.
The club confirmed on Thursday that they have signed Cyriel Dessers from US Cremonese on a four-year deal, with the 28-year-old thought to have cost around €5m.
Beale labelled the new centre-forward as an “excellent addition”, and attention could now turn to securing a summer swoop for Cifuentes.
The Ecuador international has been heavily linked with a move to Scotland and was ready to sign an Ibrox deal last month. Rangers submitted a bid looking to push through a transfer, and a further update has now emerged.
The Daily Record’s Mark Pirie shared a Rangers transfer state of play in the last 48 hours, where an update on Cifuentes was relayed. It is believed that Rangers remains the "likely destination" for the 24-year-old when he leaves LAFC, but it is yet to be decided if he will leave "this summer or when his contract expires in the winter."
Cifuentes has remained a regular for LAFC since the transfer window opened and has made 16 MLS appearances this year, with his contract set to expire when the season ends at the end of the year.
Is Jose Cifuentes good?
Cifuentes appears to be at the top of his game with a career-high €12m Transfermarkt valuation and can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder.
Sponsored by Nike, the LAFC man has made 118 appearances for the MLS side during his three-and-a-half-year stay, scoring 14 times and registering 19 assists.
He could well be a shrewd addition for Rangers at a low price due to his contract situation, with Tim Vickery, an expert on all things to do with South American football, calling the 24-year-old a "terrific" player after his 2019 exploits at the Under-20 World Cup.
"He was the beating heart of that side and I think he’s a terrific midfielder," said Vickey on talkSPORT.
"He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while.
"This fellow Cifuentes strikes the ball well, moves across the field, strong in the tackle, strong on the ball, I like him a lot."
It looks as if a transfer remains on the cards, and who knows, with Dessers in the door, Rangers may now look at forcing through a summer move for Cifuentes instead of waiting until the New Year.
