Rangers and LAFC ‘confident’ of deal amid talks to seal Jose Cifuentes move in MLS break
Rangers are back in talks with LAFC looking to finally close a deal for Jose Cifuentes during the MLS break, according to the Daily Record.
The Ecuador midfielder has long been on the list of prospective Ibrox arrivals this summer but while the season continued in the US there have been seven other arrivals as he kept playing for his current club.
A rough agreement has reportedly been in place for months, with the 24-year-old set to leave for free when his contract expires in December.
But with the American league now set for a break after CIfuentes played 90 minutes in the 1-1 draw with Minnesota on Sunday (16 July) the two clubs are looking to finally thrash out the details, with a fee of around £1million mooted.
According to the Daily Record both sides are “confident” that a deal can be reached, with the 16-cap international “keen” to move.
At long last?
Getting this move over the line might provide the greatest relief to Michael Beale of the entire window, with a deal seemingly on the brink for weeks.
It appears that is largely the case, but until everything is fully agreed in Glasgow and Los Angeles it may as well be miles off.
Cifuentes appears to have safely come through his most recent appearances without picking up an injury that would have threatened to derail the move entirely until the winter.
And with just over a month off it should provide LAFC the ideal opportunity to regroup and pick up a replacement if they are to let go of him.
The feeling is that personal terms have long been sorted ahead of a move that either occurs this summer or in December, so once a final fee is settled upon to bring it forward everything should go through quickly.
If LAFC are reportedly as confident as Rangers are that an agreement can be reached then it suggests they aren’t looking to keep him until his contract expires, and with Antonio Colak being sold to Parma in Serie B there has just been a boost to the transfer budget that should presumably aid in these talks.
In other Rangers news, another first-team ace has been backed to exit Ibrox with English clubs vying for his signature.