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Rangers targeting exciting Ecuadorian Midfielder

By Hikithe Achumi

INDIO, CA - FEBRUARY 11: Jose Cifuentes of LAFC during the MLS Pre-Season 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational match between Toronto FC v LAFC at Empire Polo Club on February 11, 2023 in Indio, California. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)
INDIO, CA - FEBRUARY 11: Jose Cifuentes of LAFC during the MLS Pre-Season 2023 Coachella Valley Invitational match between Toronto FC v LAFC at Empire Polo Club on February 11, 2023 in Indio, California. (Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images) /
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Scottish giants Rangers are reportedly keen on snapping up LAFC’s Ecuador international midfielder Jose Cifuentes in a cut-price deal.

According to respected MLS insider Tom Bogert, Rangers have joined the race for Cifuentes, alongside English side Leeds United and La Liga outfit Espanyol.

The 23-year-old Cifuentes would make for an intriguing option for Rangers. His contract with LAFC expires at the end of next season, meaning the California club risks losing him for nothing.

Rangers could sign Cifuentes to a pre-contract in January to get him for free in the summer, or try to negotiate a bargain transfer fee before his current deal runs out. Either way, prising him from LAFC won’t be easy with Leeds and Espanyol also circling.

Cifuentes has been hailed as a “terrific” midfielder by South American football expert Tim Vickery. The oracle-like Vickery praised Cifuentes as the “beating heart” of Ecuador’s under-20 side back in 2019, saying:

"“He’s strong, he’s got quality, he’s got a good engine – he’s one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I’ve seen come out of South America in a while.”"

Rangers Targeting Jose Cifuentes

Cifuentes has proven himself in Major League Soccer, scoring 13 goals and providing 15 assists in 86 appearances for LAFC. A box-to-box midfielder, the tenacious Cifuentes offers something different to Rangers’ recent acquisition Nicolas Raskin.

However, like the Belgian, Cifuentes is a young talent with huge potential available at a thrifty price. New Rangers manager Michael Beale may see Cifuentes as an ideal reinforcement for his Ibrox rebuild.

The capture of Cifuentes would demonstrate Rangers’ transfer tactics under Beale; buy promising players for a snip by capitalising on their contract situations. If a cut-price deal can be struck, the all-action Cifuentes could emerge as a shrewd signing and energize Rangers’ midfield.

Overall, this would be an exciting move by the Gers as they look to wrestle the Premiership title back from Celtic.

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