Rangers officials head out to airport as Jose Cifuentes jets in to complete seven-figure transfer amid Michael Beale excitement
Rangers officials have headed to the airport as Jose Cifuentes flies in from California to complete a £1.2million move from LAFC, the Daily Record reports.
According to the newspaper on their website late Tuesday (1 August) the Ecuador midfielder, 24, will “touch down” on Wednesday and then sign a four-year deal once visa and work permit paperwork.
Terms have already been agreed on a pre-contract that would see the international arrive when his current deal expires in December, but James Bisgrove has successfully negotiated a seven-figure fee to bring him in before the start of the season against Kilmarnock on Saturday (5 August).
Michael Beale had told fans after an open training session on Tuesday that they should “watch the arrivals at Glasgow Airport”, and according to the Daily Record club officials have set out to “welcome” Cifuentes off his flight.
The manager said he had been speaking to the signing from MLS on the phone and tipped him for big things in Glasgow: “We are excited to have him here but let’s get him settled into the team. I believe he’s a player that can take us to another level.”
Worth the wait?
It will be a huge relief to everyone involved, including Cifuentes himself, to finally get this one sealed after so long with the deal in the offing.
In the end it appears it was simply a transfer that had to wait for the timings to be right as there seemingly was strong interest from Rangers and Cifuentes for some months.
But with a pre-contract not possible until the start of July, and LAFC still using him until the MLS season break after that, everything has taken its time.
Beale had only good things to say about Steve Cherundolo’s side over the matter so it looks to ultimately be working out well for everyone.
Nine incoming deals is an impressive haul, and may be the end of the arrivals this summer, but after the pursuits of a new primary centre-back and some new question marks over full-back supporters would love to see it get into double figures before the window shuts.
With as many as three more first-team players potentially to be sold yet a final signing may depend on shifting the incumbents and bringing in the right money to do so.
In other Rangers news, an official club partner has warned that fans will have to enjoy a star man while he is here with a mooted exit to a top league already on the horizon.