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Rangers transfer update emerges on former Celtic-linked Jose Cifuentes from LAFC
Mail Plus has delivered an update on Rangers potentially signing Jose Cifuentes with Michael Beale in the market for deals.
US football insider Tom Bogert had reported via Twitter on Tuesday (18 April) that the LAFC midfielder could move to Ibrox, either in the summer on an “undervalued transfer” or for free at the end of the year.
Leeds United and Espanyol were also cited as possible destinations for the 15-cap Ecuador midfielder, who was previously linked to a Celtic move in 2019 [Daily Record].
But while Michael Beale is on the look out for a “raft of new players” with various free agents expected to leave Ibrox, Cifuentes is apparently not a target.
The latest update says: “Despite reports in the United States, Sportsmail understands Ecuadorian World Cup star Jose Cifuentes is unlikely to be one of them.”
False alarm
With Beale possibly in line to lose all of Steven Davis, Scott Arfield and Ryan Jack Rangers are sure to sign a midfielder this summer.
But if Cifuentes isn’t to arrive the club will need to have other targets lined up to be working on already as the manager looks to overhaul his squad to compete with Celtic.
Signing a player who was linked to a Parkhead move would have made every Old Firm he featured in slightly more pressurised but it doesn’t appear that will be the case.
Nico Raskin and Todd Cantwell are sure to be key features going forward, but with John Lundstram and Glen Kamara both appearing well off their best currently more movement in the middle is almost certain.
With space on the wage bill likely but cash to buy players probably not plentiful those who can be signed for little or no fee obviously jump out.
But the Light Blues can’t go for players simply because they are cheap and Beale will have to see targets as likely to make significant contributions.
In other Rangers news, a rival club chief has dropped a “bizarre” Gers verdict in the wake of a notable sacking.