Rangers could now complete Jose Cifuentes signing in days as ‘Confident’ transfer stance emerges
Rangers could well be about to seal the long-awaited transfer of Los Angeles FC midfielder Jose Cifuentes with both clubs now ‘confident’ a deal can be reached.
The 24-year-old has been on the cards as an Ibrox arrival throughout the transfer window, with Michael Beale desperate to get a deal done this summer rather than when his LAFC contract expires in December.
And according to the Daily Record (16 July), Rangers are back in talks with LAFC looking to finally close a deal for Cifuentes during the current MLS break.
The Daily Record newspaper (10 July, page 48 & back page) reported that a twist in the deal had emerged with the move put on hold and Rangers not expecting to shake hands with the MLS side for another couple of weeks.
However, in a promising new development for the Rangers fans and Beale who have been left frustrated at how long this deal has dragged on, it now looks as if it could be completed in the coming days.
With the American League now set for a break until the end of August, 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.
It is also said that only the finer points of a deal worth a reported £1million need to be ironed out.
It now seems like Rangers are impressively set to complete their eighth signing of the summer in Cifuentes, with Beale closer to getting his top midfield target in what’s been a gruelling and exhausting transfer saga.
It’s clear Beale and his team need some midfield dynamism and invention and Cifuentes has long been the perfect fit to fulfil those responsibilities, making 7.69 progressive passes per 90 (91st percentile) and 2.47 progressive carries per 90 (91st percentile) [FBRef]. His goalscoring for a central midfielder is also impressive, with 0.16 goals per 90 (90th percentile) showing him to be a dangerous attacking presence within the LAFC midfield.
Over the past several weeks, just when the Gers had looked to seal the deal for the South American gem, a spanner would be thrown in the mix to bring all the excitement and optimism that a deal can be reached right back down again.
Cifuentes is out of contract in December, so Rangers could ideally wait and sign him on a free transfer but Beale is obviously wanting his signings integrated as soon as possible as he looks to overhaul his squad to fully challenge Celtic in the Scottish Premiership this forthcoming season.
The Ecuadorian 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 but with the MLS now on a month-long break, Rangers have now been given the space to negotiate with LAFC freely and complete this long-awaited transfer.
In other Rangers news, another first-team ace has been backed to exit Ibrox with English clubs vying for his signature.