Rangers target Jose Cifuentes starts for Ecuador in a USA friendly win over Costa Rica, assisting a former Ibrox-linked teammate in Willian Pacho in the process.
The LAFC midfielder, 24, started in the middle of the park alongside Ecuador’s man of the moment in Moises Caicedo, the Brighton star being heavily linked with an eye-watering move to Chelsea this summer.
And it’s a decision which turned out to be a good one for the Ecuador national team with Jose Cifuentes assisting Willian Pacho for the country’s second goal in 3-1 victory in Pennsylvania.
The friendly was being held in Chester’s Subaru Park and Jose Cifuentes nabbed an assist by setting up the Royal Antwerp defender for what is the centre-back’s second international goal in only three caps.
Jose Cifuentes and Willian Pacho do the business for Ecuador
Rangers fans will remember the name Willian Pacho from links to Ibrox last season which were interrupted by the defender signing a reported £14m deal with Europa League Final foes Eintracht Frankfurt.
As Jose Cifuentes potentially looks set to move to Rangers, Ecuador teammate Willian Pacho will be moving to Germany this summer and at 21-years-old looks a real prospect.
The goal came after Enner Valencia had given Ecuador the lead, with Joel Campbell pulling one back for Costa Rica before Pedro Vite rounded off the scoring 82 minutes into proceedings.
Rangers target Jose Cifuentes was making his 16th international appearance for Ecuador in the match and played 67 minutes as the South American nation dispatched their Costa Rican neighbours.
Jose Cifuentes has been extensively linked with a move to Rangers all summer long with the Ibrox side said to be ready to pay £1.5m to make a deal permanent in the coming weeks.
This comes with Jose Cifuentes out of contract in December and Rangers hoping to agree a fee which will see the player be released from his current deal with the MLS club early.
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