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An update has emerged on Glasgow Rangers and their efforts to push through another signing ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership season…
What’s the latest Rangers transfer news?
According to Football Insider, the Light Blues are closing in on an agreement with LAFC for central midfielder Jose Cifuentes to join during the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the two clubs are currently locked in talks and that a resolution is expected soon as the Gers attempt to beat Leeds United and Espanyol to his signature.
Michael Beale has already confirmed that the Scottish giants have agreed a pre-contract deal with the Ecuador international, who is set to be a free agent at the end of December.
However, the ex-Aston Villa assistant has stated that they want to bring him in immediately, which is why this latest report comes as a significant boost to the English tactician.
How good is Jose Cifuentes?
The 24-year-old ace’s form throughout the 2022 MLS campaign suggests that he has the quality to be an excellent addition to Beale’s squad next term.
He is a central midfielder who has the ability to offer a huge threat at the top end of the pitch, which could make him the perfect player in that position for Sam Lammers to play with.
The 26-year-old striker joined from Serie A side Atalanta earlier this summer in a move that represents a big gamble from the Light Blues as his recent form has been less than impressive.
Lammers has scored seven league goals since the start of the 2019/20 season across spells with PSV, Atalanta, Empoli, Eintracht Frankfurt, and Sampdoria. He scored two goals in 33 Serie A matches last term and has arrived at Ibrox in need of a confidence boost.
Cifuentes has the creative quality to provide the Dutch marksman with the opportunities he needs to rediscover his touch at the top end of the pitch, which is why he could be a dream signing to complement the former Netherlands U21 international.
The Ecuadorian dynamo scored seven goals – one more than any current Gers midfielder managed last season – and assisted six across 36 MLS matches last year, whilst he also created an impressive 11 ‘big chances’ for his teammates – as per Sofascore.
Meanwhile, Todd Cantwell (five), John Lundstram (zero), Ryan Jack (two), Nicolas Raskin (one), and Glen Kamara (one) all failed to create as many ‘big chances’ throughout the 2022/23 Premiership campaign for Rangers – as per Sofascore.
This suggests that the LAFC star could be an upgrade on Beale’s current midfield options from a creative perspective. Therefore, Cifuentes, who his club’s general manager John Thorrington claimed “has absolutely everything he needs to succeed”, could play a key role in helping Lammers return to the form he displayed earlier in his career.
The new Gers signing produced 46 goals and 21 assists in 101 U18 and U21 matches combined for PSV. He was then able to carry that over to first-team level with 16 goals and five assists across 31 Eredivisie games on loan at Heerenveen during the 2018/19 campaign – prior to his recent barren run.
The potential is there for Lammers to be a lethal goalscorer, given his impressive record in his home country, and Cifuentes’ ability to create ‘big chances’ on a regular basis could provide the striker with the service he needs to hit the goal trail once again.