Rangers have ‘closed the purchase’ of Los Angeles Galaxy star Jose Cifuentes, beating Benfica and Toulouse to bring the midfielder to Ibrox this summer.
That’s according to journalist Raffaele Amato, who says Michael Beale has added his first signing of what looks likely to be a busy summer of comings and goings at Ibrox.
Rangers are set to lose several players this summer with their contracts coming to an end, with eight players all coming to the end of their contracts and set to depart.
Indeed, yesterday we covered a report on how the likes of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos could be on their way to Turkey and they are not the only ones on the exit ramp.
Central midfield promises to be an area that will need reinforcing in particular, with Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Steven Davis all out of contract.
Rangers will need additions to fill the gap left in Beale’s squad and it appears they’ve already moved to do so, with Amato reporting that they have finalised a deal for Cifuentes to arrive on a free transfer.
It now remains to be seen just when Cifuentes turns up at Ibrox. His current deal with LA Galaxy expires in December 2023, meaning he still has the best part of a year to run on his contract with the MLS side.
That would suggest he won’t be joining Rangers until January next year, although perhaps Rangers will work out a deal to bring that forward and get him in Beale’s team for the beginning of next season.
Ieri firmati tutti i documenti, i #Rangers hanno chiuso l'acquisto a zero di José #Cifuentes, centrocampista ecuadoregno dei Los Angeles Galaxy. Battuta la concorrenza di Benfica e Tolosa. @calciomercatoit pic.twitter.com/LZpsPcuzaF
— Raffaele Amato (@RaffaeleAmato14) May 18, 2023
