Rangers could finally get a deal done to bring in Jose Cifuentes this summer, with Football Insider reporting that a transfer is nearly complete after a “breakthrough in talks”.
How many games has Jose Cifuentes played?
The 24-year-old currently plays in the USA for Los Angeles FC, and it is with the American side where he has really begun to make a name for himself. Despite being a midfielder, he has hit a double-digit amount of goal contributions in his last two campaigns and has also bagged several already in 2023 despite starting only 13 times for the side so far this season.
Playing 19 times in the league this year, he has managed one goal and three assists. It means that he now has over 100 games for the club during his stint there and has a return of 14 goals and 16 assists in the MLS for them.
He didn’t break onto the scene with the American outfit though. He instead was given his league debut by Universidad Catolica del Ecuador as a 16-year-old in his native country. Despite being extremely young, he played five times that season, before managing a further three appearances in the Ecuadorian Serie A a campaign later. After building on his experience and managing 17 more appearances in 2019 for the club, he was duly snapped up by his current team.
Are Rangers signing Jose Cifuentes?
Now, having continued to shine in the USA, he could now be given a chance to test himself in Europe for the first time. That’s because Rangers have been keen to sign Cifuentes this summer, with the Scottish Premiership side still tracking the midfielder despite a lull in news regarding a potential signing. The Premiership club have been tracking him for most of the summer but, as yet, have been unable to get a transfer done.
Now, there is some positive news for Rangers fans. According to a report from Football Insider, the 5 foot 8 talent is close to agreeing a permanent switch to the Gers. It states that work has been done to try and get a move completed for the 24-year-old and after a long time of pursuing the player, he could soon complete a switch to Ibrox Stadium.
It’s unclear yet how much a deal is costing the club in terms of the fee and wages, or even how long a contract for the Ecuadorian talent may be, but it does appear as though a transfer is finally close to completion.
Cifuentes is somewhat of a versatile midfielder too. The 24-year-old is in a unique position of being able to feature both further forward and deeper as either a number eight or six.
Rangers would benefit from having such a flexible option in their ranks, with Glen Kamara now heavily linked with an exit. The Finland star is wanted by Leeds United in the English Championship as they seek a midfield partner for another new signing in Ethan Ampadu, so perhaps the capture of Cifuentes could kick start a bit of a midfielder merry-go-round.
