Rangers continue to be linked with potential left back signings and Benfica ace David Jurasek is the latest name in the mix.
Rangers fans will be expecting at least one left back to arrive in 2024.
Borna Barisic will be out of contract at the end of the season and Ridvan Yilmaz continues to be linked away from the club.
We may well see Yilmaz move on this month, but Rangers would surely need to bring in a left back before sanctioning his exit.
Sport1 reporter Christopher Michel now reports that Rangers are battling Marseille and two Bundesliga clubs for Benfica left back David Jurasek, so let’s dig into the Czech international’s career…
David Jurasek, the story so far
Jurasek spent time in the youth ranks of Dolni Nemci and Slovacko in his native Czech Republic before heading to Zrbojovka Brno as a teenager.
The left back emerged as a first-team player before leaving for Prostejov in 2020, leaving one second-tier side for another.
Jurasek caught the eye with three goals in 26 games and landed himself a move to Mlada Boleslav in 2021.
This rapid rise continued as just seven months after signing for Mlada Boleslav, Jurasek made a big move to Czech giants Slavia Prague.
That is where Jurasek really started to make a name for himself, bagging three goals and 14 assists in 55 games.
Jurasek was on the move yet again just over a year after joining Slavia as Benfica pounced in a huge deal worth up to €14million (£12million) last summer.
The hope was that Jurasek would replace Alejandro Grimaldo in the Benfica side but that really hasn’t happened with the Czech international making just six league appearances.
David Jurasek player profile
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 07/08/2000
- Position: Left back
- Club: Benfica
- Former clubs: Zrbojovka Brno, Prostejov, Mlada Boleslav, Slavia Prague
- Nationality: Czech
- Contract: Until June 2028
David Jurasek, what they say
“The progress, when he was still playing in the second league two years ago, is incredible. Fullbacks are essential for our game, which is why we currently see David as an absolutely key and irreplaceable player,” – Slavia boss Jindřich Trpišovský.
“He showed all the things he is strong in. We generally talk about him as an extraordinary player. Not only for Slavia, but also for Czech and European football in the future. He changed his head and mentality the most, gradually working on physical things that limited him a little,” – Slavia boss Trpišovský, again.
“I think he started well, then he got injured, was out for a few weeks and now, as I said, he’s not in his best shape. That’s normal for anyone who arrives at Benfica from a smaller league, they need time to adapt,” – Benfica boss Roger Schmidt.
“He’s been confident since he came to us. Maybe two or three minutes, when he jumped in for the first time in the second half of the match in England, he was a little shy. That was enough for him to show his qualities. He confirms them even at the club level and now even in the first team,” – Czech Under-21 coach Jan Suchopárek.
David Jurasek to Rangers analysis
Jurasek clearly has major talent and he showed it with Slavia, racking up assists for fun from his left back spot.
Jurasek showed real dynamism with driving runs up the left flank and the quality to supply the Slavia forwards in the final third.
That is the kind of left back Rangers fans would love to see; Barisic can still produce quality crosses but beating a man down the left wing isn’t really his game.
Jurasek is big and strong too, so you can see why Benfica were tempted into signing him.
It’s unlikely that Benfica would just let him go for a major loss, so a permanent move to Rangers seems a little tricky this month given the budget at Clement’s disposal.
A loan deal could suit Rangers, Benfica and Jurasek though, potentially allowing him to get back on track after a difficult spell in Lisbon – and potentially pave the way for a permanent move down the line.
