Late Rangers deal to sign Jefte now seems to be off amid APOEL development, clarification by midnight
Jefte’s move from APOEL to Rangers appears to be off with just hours remaining in the Cypriot transfer window, according to 24 Sports.
The Cypriot news outlet reported online (31 January) that Jefte had returned to first-team training with APOEL.
It was previously reported by Football Scotland (30 January) that the left-back had not been seen by his loan club in five days, amid reports that the Gers and his parent club Fluminese had agreed on a transfer for the 20-year-old.
However, he has now returned to Cyprus, with the Brazilian’s future set to be clarified definitively by midnight on 31 January.
Lucky escape
Should a deal for Jefte not go through, then it appears as if Rangers might have dodged a bullet after these recent developments.
While Philippe Clement is understandably keen to add a left-back to his squad and bring in reinforcements before the transfer window in Scotland slams shut, Jefte does not seem like a reliable player.
Disappearing for five days without making any contact with your club is completely unprofessional, and bringing in that type of personality might have disrupted Rangers’ momentum.
The Gers are chasing Celtic down, and still have European football to consider, and will not want any attitude problems such as Jefte’s disappearance unsettling a united locker room.
It is clear that the defender has very little respect for his loan club, and if he had shown similar levels of disrespect upon a move to Scotland, the consequences might have been messy.
Clement might be frustrated in the short term, but in the long term, it appears missing out on this transfer is for the best.
In other Rangers news, the club have warned potential suitors for one first-team player not to waste their time.
For more Rangers news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.