Sport
A Rangers player who had agreed to leave yet shows up for training
Jose Cifuentes is continuing to turn up to work at Rangers despite the fact that he is not playing ahead of an imminent move to Cruzeiro, according to Samuel Venancio.
The South American journalist with 469,000 followers reported via Twitter on 4 February that the Ecuadorian is in the process of sorting out his travel plans to move to the Brazilian club via his home country, but delays have emerged as travel documentation is set to take some days and there is currently no point in heading to Belo Horizonte until after the Carnival period.
But the 24-year-old has reportedly not absented himself from the set up at Auchenhowie yet and continues to arrive for training with the Light Blues.
Venancio wrote, translated into English: “José Cifuentes is already organizing the details of the move to leave Scotland and come to Brazil, but first he will have to pass through Ecuador. You should only arrive in BH after Carnival.
“Travel documentation will take a few days. Meanwhile, the athlete comes to work normally, even without playing for Rangers.”
Fabrizio Romano had reported on 4 February that a verbal agreement had been reached between Rangers and Cruzeiro.
Cifuentes set for Rangers escape route imminently
The former LAFC midfielder is a professional so it appears that until his move is actually official he is still treating himself as a Rangers player.
Neither side will likely feel any ill will towards the other once the expected loan-to-buy deal is sealed but his move has clearly not worked out as planned.
Nine SPFL appearances, from a total of 20 largely-substitute outings as a Light Blues player won’t be what was envisaged when Michael Beale was pursuing him for weeks during the summer.
Cifuentes never really established himself in the starting XI and wasn’t able to take advantage of the clearest opportunity presented to him when an injury crisis struck Philippe Clement’s midfield ahead of the Viaplay Cup final.
Unfortunately for the 19-cap international he is probably vying with Sam Lammers as the biggest disappointment from the much-anticipated summer overhaul.
While fortunes look to be changing for the likes of Cyriel Dessers the new manager signed big-money Ivorian Mohamed Diomande in January so Cifuentes’ best bet is a new start sooner rather than later.
It appears imminent but he is still in Glasgow days after the UK transfer window shut, and while the Brazilian version stays open until 7 March [Andy Newport, 1 February], a deal will presumably need to be registered soon even if he doesn’t travel until after the Belo Horizonte carnival period, set to end on 18 February [Yes Summer, 11 December].
