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Three transfers Rangers could seal on January transfer deadline day
Rangers are approaching the conclusion of the January transfer window and may yet still have time to secure some exciting incomings.
The Ibrox club have already swooped for Fabio Silva on loan from Wolves which was conducted before the January window was even open.
While versatile midfielder Mohamed Diomande arrived a few weeks later from FC Nordsjælland for a hefty sum of £4.3m to bolster Philippe Clement’s options in the middle of the pitch.
The likes of Ridvan Yilmaz and Jose Cifuentes could still see themselves moved out of Govan across the next few hours but for now, we’ll focus on who Gers could still acquire this month.
Football Scotland journalist Mark Hendry reckons a striker, left-back and winger are still wanted by Clement, who told fans that work will be done right up until the last second of the window.
So Rangers News have taken a look at the recruitment that could be done until the very, very end.
Rangers fans can be hopeful of seeing RC Lens winger Oscar Cortes being the first player to sign for the club on transfer deadline day.
The 20-year-old Colombian winger is on the verge of a loan-to-buy move to Glasgow from the French club, who haven’t been providing him with the game time he desires.
Cortes – who signed for Lens in a £3.8m switch from Millonarios in the summer – has made just four Ligue 1 appearances this season totalling a meagre 40 minutes of action [Transfermarkt].
So while Rangers are close to signing an exciting young talent, his match fitness would need to be managed carefully.
Jefte
Rangers are keen on completing the signing of Brazilian outfit Fluminense’s Jefte, who would provide cover at left-back if Ridvan Yilmaz leaves this month.
Borna Barisic is out of contract in the summer too so the Jefte deal is one that has more of a longer term feel to it.
However, there are roadblocks still to be cleared if the 20-year-old is to become a Rangers player come the end of the day.
That’s because he is currently on loan at Greek side APOEL and negotiations leading to an agreement between them and Fluminense would have to be hammered out first.
Additionally, Jefte has allegedly gone AWOL and the club’s president has supposedly remarked that he hasn’t been in contact with the full-back for at least five days. That has only fuelled the Rangers speculation further.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claims the deal between Fluminense and Rangers has already been agreed and now, it’s just a case of APOEL green-lighting the switch.
It is being said the Brazilians will have to fork out as much as £400k in compensation to APOEL to cut short the loan deal. Jefte has played 20 times for APOEL this season, scoring three goals and assisting four [Transfermarkt].
Lawrence Shankland
The Hearts talisman has been constantly touted for a move across the M8 to Ibrox this month but concrete interest in the striker from Gers has yet to be confirmed or denied.
Rangers scouts were reportedly present at Hearts’ recent win over Aberdeen – which Shankland scored in – and that has added fuel to the fire over the past couple of days.
But the Jambos are desperate to keep a hold of their main man and have now tabled a second contract offer to Shankland after their first was rejected earlier in January.
He would become their highest-paid player ever if the 28-year-old signs on at Tynecastle so Hearts are certainly presenting him with an attractive offer.
Rangers – who could be doing with an out-and-out No9 – may yet seriously upset the apple cart though by submitting their own late offer for Shankland.
But there is a suggestion the £4m Hearts would require to sell him is likely not to be met by other clubs between now and the window slamming shut. We will see though, we will see.
