APOEL Nicosia coach Jose Dominguez insists that Jefte is back ‘available’ again after a proposed £400,000 move to Rangers collapsed in the final few days of the January transfer window.
Rangers did the easy bit. As for the hard part, however, well let’s just say all that good work counted for little in the end.
According to Fabrizio Romano, Philippe Clement’s side agreed a deal with Fluminense that would have seen 20-year-old Jefte Vital move to Ibrox before the deadline on Thursday night. But the job was only halfway done, at that stage, and it would remain that way too.
APOEL, having signed Jefte on loan for the entirety of the current campaign, were the ones to call the shots on the youngster’s future. And, as Romano explains, they were unwilling to terminate his contract at such short notice, meaning Rangers will have to wait until the summer to pick up where they left off.
Rangers miss out on left-back Jefte Vital
“It was an internal issue,” APOEL’s assistant coach and one-time Tottenham man Jose Dominguez tells Goal, Jefte back in contention after being left out of the recent 4-0 triumph over Nea Salamis.
“Since they (Jefte and the similarly exit-linked Kingsley Sarfo) came back, they are available. These things happen. They are regular members of the team and will be until the end of the season.”
Rangers were linked with a host of left-backs during the January window and ended up failing to land even a single one. Liverpool reportedly blocked their approach for Owen Beck. Josh Doig joined Sassuolo. Kai Wagner signed a new deal with Philadelphia Union too, while links with Gijs Smal, Fredrik Oppegard and Cameron Pring also came and went.
Ridvan Yilmaz remains at Ibrox for now
That might go some way to explaining why Ridvan Yilmaz is still a Rangers player. Galatasaray supposedly saw a £2 million offer rejected, with the Gers holding out for around £4 million for the Turkey international.
The Turkish transfer window will remain open for another week but, without a replacement ready to take his place, it seems unlikely that they would consider any improved offer for Yilmaz at this stage.
Rangers did, at least, strike a deal to bring in Oscar Cortes from Lens. He joins Mohamed Diomande and Fabio Silva at the Scottish Premiership challengers.
