Former Glasgow Rangers defender Alan Hutton has been reacting to an Ibrox transfer update involving target Jose Cifuentes.
What’s the latest Rangers transfer news?
Michael Beale has already managed to bring in seven new players ahead of his first full season in charge. Kieran Dowell, Jack Butland, Dujon Sterling and Leon Balogun have all arrived on free transfers, whereas Abdallah Sima has joined on a season-long loan deal from Brighton.
Rangers have spent money on forwards Cyriel Dessers and Sam Lammers, and it looks as if Feyenoord striker Danilo is also set to sign after a £6m agreement was reached with the Dutch champions.
Alongside Danilo, progress appears to have been made on a move for Cifuentes, a long-term target from Los Angeles FC. Beale has recently admitted that a deal was in place to sign the player on a free transfer at the end of the year, however, reports have now claimed that the two sides are ‘expected to have a deal completed this week’.
An agreement is seemingly being fast-tracked which will allow Cifuentes to head to Glasgow this summer, and that news has got the approval of Hutton.
Hutton, who contributes for Sky Sports, was talking to Football Insider regarding Cifuentes and a summer move to Ibrox. The pundit believes the Ecuador international “will make a difference” and described him as a “big powerhouse” who is “good with the ball”.
“I think it shows you how desperate they are for him.
“That is not any slight on any of the players that are in there, I think Cifuentes will make a difference. He is a big powerhouse, he breaks up play, he is good with the ball and I think he makes them stronger.
“They already have a lot of attacking talent, they play with high full-backs, they need somebody that can sit in there and be the spoiler.
“To get him through the door is obviously what Michael Beale wants. The big games are the European games and the league and he obviously wants them in now to be as strong as possible moving forward.”
How much is Jose Cifuentes worth?
Cifuentes is into the final six months of his LAFC deal, so you’d expect that a fee could be relatively low. Therefore, Rangers could be getting themselves a versatile midfielder in a cut-price deal, as his Transfermarkt valuation stands at a career-high €12m.
That figure is higher than any current Rangers player, as per Transfermarkt, with Cifuentes able to play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder. He’ll arrive with plenty of experience for club and country, turning out on 121 occasions for his current employers and 16 times for Ecuador.
It appears as if Cifuentes could prove to be a shrewd signing for Beale and Rangers, and you’d expect he’ll initially come in and look to nail down a starting central midfield role ahead of the likes of John Lundstram, Nicolas Raskin and Ryan Jack, while giving some versatility in defensive and advanced midfield roles if required.