When it comes to one out-of-favour Rangers man in particular, an Ibrox exit before the close of the transfer window was always going to happen.
That much has become very apparent over the last fortnight. But while it is not a case of ‘if’, it is certainly a case of ‘when’.
Last Friday, reports out of Greece claimed that Jose Cifuentes was set to seal his move from Rangers to Aris Thessaloniki ‘immediately’.
Perhaps they have a different definition of ‘immediately’ on the banks of the Aegean Sea. Because, one week on, Cifuentes is still a Rangers player. Technically speaking, anyway; the Ecuador international currently out in Brazil on a loan with Cruzeiro.
So, the question is, when with Cifuentes finally be unveiled as an Aris player?
Rangers still yet to move on from Jose Cifuentes
According to Nova Sport, the latest publication to weigh in on a situation that has dragged on longer than many at Rangers would have liked, Cifuentes could officially depart within 24 hours of Philippe Clement’s side finishing up against Motherwell at Fir Park.
Nova Sport claim that Cifuentes is due to touch down in Greece before Sunday.
It is likely that he will then undergo medical tests before putting pen to paper on a contract that will see him leave the Glasgow giants on an initial loan deal.
There has been some confusion over whether Cifuentes will have an ‘option-to-buy’ clause in his Aris deal or an ‘obligation’.
Either way, should he become a permanent member of the squad later down the line, Rangers will make a sizeable profit on a player who joined amid lofty expectations but struggled to nail down a place following his £1.2 million arrival from Los Angeles FC last summer.
Gers to make big profit on Ibrox misfit
All About Aris reports that Cifuentes could set Aris back a cool £4.2 million.
After recouping almost every penny they paid for Sam Lammers when the forward joined FC Twente, this would be another impressive piece of business. A £3 million profit on a man who did not score or assist a single goal in nine Premiership appearances.
Cifuentes will reportedly become the best-paid player in Aris’ entire history too, earning ‘crazy’ wages of up to £24,000-a-week.
With nine new players arriving – Connor Barron, Jefte and Vaclav Cerny are already making their mark – considerable outgoings were always expected at Ibrox this summer. In addition to Cifuentes, Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi will be allowed to go before the window closes.
Clement confirmed, after leaving Hagi out of his squad for the 1-1 draw at Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League qualifiers, that the Romania playmaker is not part of his plans.
Tuttomercatoweb now claim that Rangers would be willing to tear up the final year of Hagi’s contract.
“No,” was Clement’s response when asked if Hagi had a part to play in 2024/25, via Rangers’ official YouTube channel. “We had clearly talked with him before the pre-season already, and with his agents, about that.
“We need to look at a lot of things with the club. About wages, about how many players you can have in a position, with the budget we have, and to get a budget to make transfers.
“It was really clear that the idea is to sell. That’s what he wanted also. So, that’s the clear situation.”
