Rangers have now “agreed” a deal to sign RC Lens winger Oscar Cortes as the club line up their third signing of the January window.
News broke at the start of the week that Rangers are interested in signing the 20-year-old Colombian winger, who just moved to France in the summer.
Struggling to settle ever since that €4.5m (£3.8m) switch from Millonarios in his home country, Oscar Cortes now looks set to move to Rangers on an initial loan with purchase option.
At least that’s according to Colombian journalist Pipe Sierra of WinSports, who also claims that links to Sao Paolo in Brazil were nothing more than transfer “smoke”.
Translated the tweet reads:
“The negotiation of Óscar Cortés (20) has already been agreed between Lens and Rangers, subject to medical examinations. It will be a 5-month loan (until June 30) with a purchase option.
“The Scots have the desire to acquire it. There was never anything from São Paulo; it was smoke.”
Rangers agree deal to sign Oscar Cortes
Employed mainly as a right-winger, Oscar Cortes can play across the front three and this is a potentially exciting transfer by Rangers.
With Ross McCausland and Scott Wright the current options in the position, this will strengthen the right-wing berth in the squad.
Rangers have also been dealt a blow with a long-term injury to Abdallah Sima, with Oscar Cortes also able to fill in on the opposite side of the Ibrox pitch.
Should a deal go through as expected, Oscar Cortes will be Philippe Clement’s third signing of the January window with Rangers already adding Fabio Silva and Mohamed Diomande from Wolves and FC Nordsjælland respectively.
Rangers have also been linked with a move for Brazilian left-back Jefté with South America a market that the club have been exploring since the addition of Nils Koppen to the Ibrox recruitment team.
Colombian flags back at Ibrox
Rangers are certainly moving towards that player trading model with all of the young players targeted by the club potentially boasting substantial resale value.
That Oscar Cortes cost RC Lens close to £4m in the summer speaks volumes about the kid’s talents and let’s hope the right-winger goes on to harness them in Glasgow.
The Gers of course have previous with young Colombian attackers with fans very much ready for the return of Colombian flags in Glasgow after the exit of Alfredo Morelos.
Fans will now look forward to an official update on the switch with the move expected to be completed within the next 24-48 hours.
