Rangers move for Jose Cifuentes looks like being one of Michael Beale’s main targets for the summer and one South American football expert has explained just how big it could be.
The Ecuadorian midfield, on paper, seems like a player who would normally be out of our price range, however, reports suggest that a deal is imminent.
Speaking to Adam Thornton on Heart and Hand, Simon Edwards, a journalist and agent who works in South American football, has given the lowdown on Rangers-linked Jose Cifuentes and there is a lot to be excited about.
The 24-year old has been targeted by some Premier League clubs in the past, so we know that he has caught the eye of some decent teams with money to spend.
How much would Rangers normally have to pay for Jose Cifuentes?
A question posed by Thornton to Edwards during the interview, and this is how the Colombia-based consultant responded:
“It’s still a little bit, it’s a path that hasn’t been well tread, obviously, he’s 24 now so, he’s still got ten years at elite level.
“I think it’s important that he gets the right move now and that’s obviously why Cifuentes wasn’t keen to renew and to make sure that there was nothing in the way of a move to Europe.
“If he had five years on his contract, you’d be talking 4, 5, 6 million, is a fair number.
“But again, it’s a case of seeing which clubs would pay that because he is a player who doesn’t have experience of playing in Europe.
“I think this makes a lot of sense for Rangers because, in a year’s time, you have a player who you could sell to the Premier League.”
Despite being frustrating, it is easy to see why Rangers are waiting until the 1st of July to finalise the deal for Jose Cifuentes.
Los Angeles FC are more than entitled to charge a fee for one of their best players but, if he has already agreed a move elsewhere, that figure should drop significantly from the reported valuation.
As Edwards discusses in the interview, South America is still an untapped market for Scottish clubs.
The work permit regulations are more relaxed than in England so regular Under-21 internationals and youngsters who have played in the Copa Libertadores would automatically qualify.
They wouldn’t be expensive and could provide a sizeable profit too.
Hopefully, it is a market that Rangers can dip their toes into more often, remember, a player doesn’t have to be Scottish to be counted as home grown as long as they are developed at the club for three years between the ages of 15-21.
The next Alfredo Morelos or Jose Cifuentes is just waiting to be discovered.
