Report: Rangers’ departure is imminent, with a possible £4.2 million deal completed by Sunday

It was inevitable that one of the Rangers’ out-of-favour players would leave Ibrox before the transfer window closed.

It has become abundantly clear over the past two weeks. But even though the question isn’t “if,” it is unquestionably “when.”

According to reports from Greece last Friday, Jose Cifuentes was scheduled to finalise his transfer from Rangers to Aris Thessaloniki “immediately.”

Maybe, on the shores of the Aegean Sea, “immediately” means something different. Since Cifuentes is still a Rangers player after a week. In theory, at least; the Ecuadorian international is presently on loan at Cruzeiro in Brazil.

So, the question is: When will Cifuentes’ identity as an Aris player finally be revealed?

Rangers haven’t let go of Jose Cifuentes yet.

After Rangers’ match against Motherwell at Fir Park, which has gone on longer than many would have liked, Cifuentes may formally leave within 24 hours, according to Nova Sport, the most recent outlet to comment on the situation.

According to Nova Sport, Cifuentes is expected to land in Greece before Sunday.

Before signing a contract that will see him depart the Glasgow giants on an initial loan deal, he probably has to go through medical testing.

Concerns have been raised regarding whether Cifuentes’ Aris agreement will contain a “obligation” or a “option-to-buy” clause.

In either case, Rangers will have made a sizable profit on a player who arrived from Los Angeles FC for £1.2 million last summer with high expectations but struggled to establish a spot in the starting lineup. That is, assuming he ends up staying in the team permanently.

Gers to profit handsomely from Ibrox misfit

According to All About Aris, Cifuentes might cost Aris an astounding £4.2 million.

This would be another excellent deal, having recovered nearly all of the money they paid for Sam Lammers when the forward joined FC Twente. A £3 million profit on a player who made nine Premiership appearances without scoring or setting up a goal.

According to reports, Cifuentes will also become the highest paid player in Aris’ history, taking home pay that could reach £24,000 per week, or “crazy.”

As nine new players arrived this summer—Connor Barron, Jefte, and Vaclav Cerny are already making an impression—significant outgoings were always anticipated at Ibrox. Before the window closes, Todd Cantwell and Ianis Hagi will also be permitted to leave in addition to Cifuentes.

Hagi’s exclusion from Clement’s starting lineup for the 1-1 Champions League qualifying match against Dynamo Kiev revealed that the Romanian playmaker is not in Clement’s lineup.

According to Tuttomercatoweb, the Rangers are reportedly prepared to rip up Hagi’s contract in its last year.

When asked if Hagi would play a role in 2024–2025 on the Rangers’ official YouTube channel, Clement replied, “No.” “We had obviously discussed that with him and his representatives prior to the preseason.

“With the club, there are many things we need to consider. Regarding salaries, regarding the number of players that can be placed in a position given our budget, and obtaining funding for transfers.

It is abundantly evident that the idea is to make a sale. That was also his desire. Thus, that is the evident circumstance.

Premier League player’s succinct Instagram reply to a Rangers player ignites the transfer rumour

Huge props to the Rangers squad for drawing their Champions League qualifying match against Dynamo Kiev.

Though Cyriel Dessers’ last-minute equaliser in the Champions League QR3 match has the game poised at 1-1, it’s evident that the Ibrox side knows that the job isn’t done yet.

Rangers put on a strong show, and the outcome and their play have given fans hope that they can win the nearly £30 million that is being offered in exchange for Champions League qualification.

Additionally, a player in Abdallah Sima, whose ability to play again at Ibrox may depend on such a windfall, has just commented on Instagram.

In response to Diomande, Sima

For Rangers, Mohamed Diomande is starting to establish himself as a vital midfield player.

The Ivorian technician is quickly rising to the top of the team sheet at Ibrox, having covered every blade of grass in Poland.

After the game, the West African midfielder took to Instagram to reassure supporters that the “job’s not finished,” with all of his attention focused on defeating Dynamo in Glasgow the following week.

 

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However, one of the post’s comments is what will really get Rangers supporters excited.

Through his official account, Abdallah Sima responded to Mohamed Diomande, aka “Mon Gars,” receiving nearly 400 likes as of this writing.

Rangers has made it very evident that they want to bring the Senegalese forward back to Glasgow, even though the Brighton forward is currently back at the south coast club.

Champions League improves Sima’s search

The remarks made by Abdallah Sima coincide with an intriguing window for Rangers in the transfer market.

Rangers have two distinct plans for the remaining portion of the window, depending on whether the team makes it into the Champions League, as Philippe Clement has made clear.

This implies that the players the Rangers target before the trade deadline closes will depend on the European competitions they participate in this year.

Similar to Hannibal Mejbri, a move for Abdallah Sima might be contingent upon Champions League qualification.

When Sima and the Belgian spoke about the situation earlier in the summer, Gers manager Clement made a hint to that effect.

Naturally, I’ve been in contact with him, Clement stated in July.

He resembles one of my boys. Abda is a huge club fan. Abda is a huge fan of the style of play we had the previous season and his part in it. He cherished the staff and his teammates.

However, since Brighton is ultimately the owner, everything revolves around the money. It is not feasible at this time.

However, we would be happy to have him returned, so we will keep an eye out for any opportunities along the way. We’ll investigate if it’s feasible.

Despite sustaining a serious injury at the beginning of the season, Abdallah Sima scored 16 goals in 39 games for the Rangers last season.

In Rangers’ debut against Dynamo Kyiv, Ferguson delivers the Jefte verdict live on BBC Sportsound

Derek Ferguson gave his assessment of Jefte, the new signing for the Rangers, calling the Brazilian “excellent” during Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Dynamo Kyiv.

In May, Jefte, 20, signed a four-year contract from Fluminense, with Rangers contributing an additional £2 million.

Ferguson’s commendation follows the left-back’s halftime substitution for Scott Wright during the Gers’ Champions League qualifying match against the Ukrainians in Poland.

Ferguson stated the following when speaking on BBC Sportsound on August 6, 20:05: “There was a lot of talk before the game about Jefte starting ahead of Scott Wright.”

“He’s fantastic; he possesses strength and speed, and I felt Yilmaz and Jefte would make a good combination.”

Jefte might declare his intention to start the upcoming Rangers game.

The Brazilian didn’t start the match, but Phillipe Clement has no excuse to overlook him when they play Motherwell on August 10.

The left side of the pitch was much more stable as soon as he entered the game, and he provided Yilmaz with a lot of assistance.

The left-back was a long-term target for the team and signed with them close to the opening of the summer transfer window.

He is one of the few additions that, along with Connor Barron’s, could genuinely affect the starting lineup for the Giants.

Connor Barron is Rangers’ newest midfield signing this summer, on a free transfer from Aberdeen

In addition to being a younger alternative to Borna Barisic, the left-back’s versatility as a winger further enhances his skill set.

While the Gers’ performance against Dynamo fell short of expectations, Clement might have a better chance of winning if Shoukd Jefte were given the starting nod against Motherwell.

Spotted: Clement gets a “Major” injury boost while training with the Rangers before their match against Kyiv

Ahead of Rangers’ UEFA Champions League qualifying match against Dynamo Kyiv, Dujon Sterling has been spotted in training.

The Scottish Sun published an image on August 5th, which indicates that Philippe Clement has benefited from a “major” injury boost. Sterling, who was not available for the Hearts match over the weekend, is expected to play against the Ukrainian team.

On August 6, Gers and Dynamo Kyiv play at Arena Lublin, where the 24-year-old may play in his first game of the year.

Dujon Sterling is anticipated to be the Rangers’ first-choice right-back.

The possibility of Sterling getting back to full fitness before the Kyiv qualifier is a huge plus for the team.

The 24-year-old’s addition to the team may result in him playing right back, particularly in light of captain James Tavernier’s recent defensive shortcomings and reports that he may be leaving. [Edward David]

There have been calls for a more defensively sound option because Tavernier, despite his attacking prowess, has been criticised for his defensive performances.

With his versatility and defensive prowess, Sterling might be able to help the Rangers with their defensive problems.

In addition to meeting the team’s immediate defensive needs, his possible start in the next league match or against Dynamo Kyiv would offer a long-term solution at right back.

James Tavernier has had a stellar Rangers career

As a result, Tavernier might take on a more senior role or offer options for rotation, making the team more competitive and well-rounded.

Rangers’ injury worries grow as the reported £4m transfer decision is looked at more closely

Philippe Clement, the manager of Rangers, promised fans that players would get hurt after he got his feet under the desk at Ibrox.

It shocked the former manager of Club Brugge what he found in Glasgow: a physically undercooked team that was regularly wiped out by problems.

Rangers have changed the medical staff and the way the club prepares for the season. Clement confirmed that “injury prevention work” has been a big focus this summer, and there was new hope that the club’s struggling medical department would get better.

Rangers had a rough preseason, and just 90 minutes into the new season, there are already signs that the Ibrox injury curse isn’t quite over.

Photo by Rene Nijhuis/MB Media/Getty Images

Rangers get two injuries in a row

Rangers started their pre-season with a friendly match against Ajax. It was great to see Nikolas Raskin in the game.

The Belgian moved to Rangers about 18 months ago, but injuries have made his time in Glasgow, which started out so well, very difficult.

Raskin was the first player to cause concern at Ibrox this season when he went down after a hard challenge in the first half in Holland.

After being told Raskin would be out for six weeks, Rangers fans have heard it all before. He will now return sometime in September. We’re not going to hold our breath.

When Hearts played the first game of the Scottish Premiership season, having Colombian winger Oscar Cortes back in the team was a good sign.

The 20-year-old joined the club on loan in January. He got off to a good start, but an injury in February ended his season at Rugby Park.

In six months, the winger was hurt when he got into a fight with Hearts right back Gerald Taylor right before halftime.

When the kid first came out for the second half, he pulled up before being taken off, and Cortes left the pitch in tears.

We don’t know how bad the injury is yet, but Rangers fans will not be happy if he gets hurt again in the next year since they just agreed to pay £4 million to sign the attacker from RC Lens.

Ibrox’s great utility player Dujon Sterling hasn’t been seen since the 2-0 loss to Manchester United in a friendly, but he might be able to play against Dynamo Kiev on Tuesday.

Can Rangers get their expensive team in shape?

And these are scary signs that Rangers are still a long way from making their team strong enough to handle the tough games in Scotland.

Raskin and Cortes have had trouble adjusting to how tough and physical the league is. That’s about £5.5 million spent on players who haven’t been able to contribute consistently because of injuries.

It’s something that happens all the time in the squad.

But there is some reason to be optimistic, if that’s what you want to call it.

Philippe Clement stressed that many players on the team have finally had a full, physical pre-season after being hurt for years.

Before the game with Hearts, Clement told the press, “We already saw fewer injuries this pre-season.”

“There were a few players who hadn’t played in a full preseason in the past couple of years but did so now.”

“Does that mean we automatically won’t get hurt?”

The body can’t be changed in five or six weeks, so no, that’s not what’s going on. A few of them are already stronger, but there is still more work to be done.

This is about players like Kieran Dowell, Rabbi Matondo, Tom Lawrence, and Ben Davies, who will say they still have a lot to prove at Rangers.

Even though they may finally be healthy, we don’t think they’re good enough to lead Rangers to where they need to be.

That’s true even though Salary Sport says these four players make up about £4.5m of the club’s annual wage bill.

Danilo, a Brazilian striker who wasn’t used against Hearts, has also come back after a long knee injury, but we won’t say anything until he starts playing games.