Philippe Clement would have been tearing his hair out if he had any left given how hard it has been for him to move on players deemed surplus to requirements at Rangers.
Connor Goldson and Sam Lammers will have brought in decent money and Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi will too – if they are sold.
One surprise bonus has been the suggestion that Jose Cifuentes could be on his way to Greek outfit Aris Salonika with a £4.2m obligation to buy clause at the end of a season long loan.
Rangers set to land bumper Jose Cifuentes
Currently, at Cruizeiro in Brazil’s Serie A, it’s easy to see why the Ecuadorian midfielder might fancy a place in the sun.
Speaking after moving to South America, he said:
“There was a team from the English Championship interested and a club from Turkey too.
“But it would have been a loan for five months which meant uprooting from family again after they had already had to adapt to Scotland, which would have been a problem.
“So I had to make the best decision for them and that’s why I’m here in Brazil.
“I made my debut for Cruzeiro last week and it was sunny.
“I didn’t experience the sun for the six months I was with Rangers. It was always cold.
“But my fitness is good and I think I will adapt here easily.
“I like to play as an attacking midfielder, but positioning is something that I adapt to the team for who I am playing.”
Cifuentes arrived with a great reputation, although he never seemed to settle or show anything like the sort of displays that once saw him linked with big money moves to the Premier League.
What didn’t help was being asked to adapt to a more defensive role, something he clearly never seemed comfortable with.
As a player with no Ibrox future, getting the 25-year old off the wage bill on a permanent basis will open up all sorts of opportunities – especially with Clement looking for new additions.
Cifuentes exit could help fund Hannibal bid
One such potential player could be Man Utd’s Hannibal.
With just one year left on his Old Trafford contract, the Tunisia international looks set to leave the Premier League this summer with Rangers named as potential suitors snd said to be at “advanced stages” of talks.
The 21-year old’s aggression and physicality would be a huge asset to Clement’s midfield, not only that, but he has the technical ability to match too.
The £4.2m banked from the potential sale of Cifuentes could go a long way to paying for Hannibal in what would be something of a coup.
Rangers probably couldn’t afford the sort of fee that Man Utd are looking for, but with a £4m down payment, you never know.
