Rangers verbal agreement in place as Borna Barisic set to quit Ibrox after Scottish Cup final
Rangers are closing in on the signing of Fluminese left-back Jefte with Borna Barisic set to leave Ibrox, according to the Scottish Daily Mail.
Writing on the back page (23 May), the newspaper reports that Jefte will become Philippe Clement’s first summer signing.
A proposed move fell through in January when the Brazillian’s loan club, APOEL, demanded a £600,000 pay-off to let the 20-year-old go, with the Gers reaching a verbal agreement for the summer.
Jefte, who is set to undergo his medical, will replace Barisic in Clement’s squad.
The Croatian is poised to leave the club after the Scottish Cup final against Celtic (25 May).
Rangers and Philippe Clement make a smart move at left-back
Bringing in Jefte as Barisic leaves the club is very clever business by Rangers.
Barisic has had an inconsistent season at Ibrox and looks past his best, with his 32nd birthday not too far around the corner.
Meanwhile, Jefte is yet to turn 21 and comes in as a young, exciting replacement.
It is a shrewd move by the Gers and suggests that Clement is doing some long-term thinking in Glasgow.
Rangers supporters will be excited to see what Jefte can bring to Ibrox next season, but for now, all focus will be on the Scottish Cup final.
With Barisic set to leave the club after Saturday, the match against Celtic offers him the perfect opportunity to say a fairytale goodbye to the club he has spent the last six years with.
Whether or not he plays, the fullback will be desperate to end his career in Scotland with a trophy at the expense of Rangers’ biggest rivals.
In other Rangers news, a doctor has provided an injury update on one player ahead of the clash with Celtic.
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