The Scottish Premiership may not be the most glamorous destination in European football but, when the opportunity arises, the lure of Rangers can be difficult to resist.
European football, a shot at domestic silverware albeit this season in the cup rather than the league, and the chance to play in front of one of the most passionate fanbases in the game.
With all things considered, it’s no wonder Jack Butland opted to follow in the footsteps of his former England teammate Joe Hart and head north of the border. It’s no wonder Hamza Igamane chose Rangers over Qatar, or why Vaclav Cerny chose Glasgow as the ideal environment in which to jump-start a career which had stalled in Germany.
Rafael Fernandes became the first new face at Ibrox of 2025, meanwhile, when the former Portugal youth international joined on loan from LOSC Lille a week or so ago.
And, according to reports, Rangers were far from the only club who made their interest known.
Rafael Fernandes chose Rangers when leaving Lille on loan
Rangers Review claim that Fernandes had admirers in Spain, Germany and France. But rather than head back to the banks of the Mediterranean with a switch to La Liga or look to rebuild in the Bundesliga – at least one of Lille’s Ligue 1 rivals were understood to be interested too – the 6ft 3ins centre-half is now a Rangers player.
Well, for the time being anyway.
Rangers do have an option to make Fernandes’ loan deal into a permanent transfer come the summer. Whether this is an option they take up will depend on the extent of his impact, whether he can adapt to the rigours of the Scottish football, and how much Lille demand for a player they signed from Portuguese outfit Arouca to the tune of £2.5 million.
His giant frame and his impressive duel-winning statistics certainly suggest that the physicality of the British game will not pose too much of a problem. Rafael Fernandes also offers a ‘remarkable’ drive for self-improvement, while he may feel he has a point to prove in Glasgow after failing to make a single Ligue 1 appearance for Lille in the first half of the campaign.
”I’m very happy,” Clement said when Fernandes arrived. “We believe in his potential.
”He’s not somebody who will be directly ready. He played almost nothing in the last year, but the scouting team saw him play the year before in Portugal. I saw also several games of that.
”He’s showing several attributes. He’s fast, he can do good passing, he’s powerful, he’s young and athletic. We get good information in Lille also with players who were training with him.”
Rafael Fernandes should help Rangers in both boxes
Rafael Fernandes was in the Rangers squad for the first time when Clement’s side came from behind to beat Dundee United 3-1 at Tannadice over the weekend.
And while the Gers boss is keen to avoid throwing the newbie in at the deep end, a Premiership debut could potentially be fast-tracked by the ongoing absence of John Souttar.
Pedro Coehlo, a former coach at Sporting Lisbon, highlights Rafael Fernandes’ physicality and his technical qualities with Rangers landing themselves a fine defender as well as someone who can contribute in the build-up.
“Rafael was always one of the stand-out talents throughout Sporting’s youth age groups,” Coehlo tells Rangers Review.
“He’s always had very good technique on the ball alongside physical skills. He’s very tall, very fast and strong in the duels. For the position he plays at centre-back, he has a very good heading game which is very important.
“Technically, he is at a good level able to commit to his decisions, although his passing over medium distances is better than over long distances.
“Physically, he is very strong and in football, the physical skills are very important.”
