When it was put to Los Angeles FC’s general manager in September last year that Jose Cifuentes was attracting interest from across the Atlantic – including in the English Premier League – John Thorrington’s response was, well, not exactly one of surprise.
“If he’s not the most talented midfielder in the league, he’s up there,” Thorrington said. “I think he has absolutely everything he needs to succeed.
“I’m not surprised to receive and hear of interest from high-level clubs in Europe. We, as I say, evaluate these opportunities on a case-by-case basis. And we will cross that bridge when the appropriate opportunity comes.”
Now, with MLS reporter Tom Bogert claiming on Twitter that Cifuentes has a queue for his services longer than that for an ice cream van on a scorching July afternoon, Thorrington can expect to be facing a rather hefty phone bill over the coming months.
Rangers, Leeds United and Espanyol are among Cifuentes’ early admirers; the summer window now only a few weeks away. If Moises Caicedo is the posterboy of a ‘Golden Generation’ of Ecuadorian talent, then Cifuentes is the Robin to his Brighton Batman.
The 13-cap international, who featured twice at the Qatar World Cup and won the MLS Cup with LAFC, has come on leaps and bounds over the last few seasons.
‘Incredibly talented’
“Cifu is an incredibly talented player,” explains LAFC’s head coach Steve Cherundolo. “The sky is the limit for him. He is a complete player.”
‘Complete’ is the right word. Only two players in the LAFC squad averaged more successful tackles per game than Cifuentes last term, per WhoScored. A tally of nine yellow cards highlights his competitive streak; the aggression and an intensity required to thrive on Scottish soil.
But, with eight goals and nine assists to his name throughout 2022, Cifuentes is clearly more than a bone-rattling ball-winner.
Like Caicedo – one of the Premier League’s most all-round enforcers – it is difficult to box Cifuentes into a certain role. Is a defensive midfielder? An attacking midfielder? Both at once?
Could Rangers sign a one-time Celtic target?
With Ryan Jack, Steven Davis and Scott Arfield out of contract, reinforcements are certainly required in the centre of the park at Rangers. A partnership of Cifuentes and Nicolas Raskin, meanwhile, may be one capable of going toe-to-toe with Celtic and emerging unscathed from a blood-spattered battleground.
And, speaking of Celtic…
“It would be very interesting to play there (at Celtic, in the Scottish League,” Cifuentes told Football Scotland back in 2019, then-Hoops boss Neil Lennon admitting at the time that a little-known youngster had ‘come up’ on the radar.
“(Celtic) are a good team. And I want to be the protagonist in a lot of competitions.”
Now boasting comfortably the best midfield in the country, Celtic missing out on Cifuentes has not held them back all that much. But if Rangers are to close the gap at the top, this may be the sort of signing Mick Beale needs in order to reach the next level.
