The José Cifuentes to Rangers transfer saga really seems to be dragging on, but it feels like it could be finally nearing a conclusion. LAFC play Minnesota United on Sunday then don’t have a game for over a month. That seems like the perfect time to sell 24-year-old Ecuadorian international as they will then have time to replace him.
It was May 18th when transfer guru Fabrizio Romano tweeted, via The 4th Official, that Rangers were in advanced talks to sign LAFCs midfielder. Since then, various reports have come out claiming the deal was getting ‘closer’, yet he’s still in LA. The latest ‘update’ was July 7th when Mercado Futbol EC tweeted this;
#CONFIRMED in the next few hours the transfer of José Cifuentes to the @RangersFC of Scotland, current club @LAFC of the United States, would be defined.
Mercado Futbol EC
Let’s hope that after Rangers return from Germany and LAFCs game on Sunday we see some movement on this one.
His Performance Last Night
If you’re still wondering why so many fans really want this one to happen, then here are his numbers from LAFCs 3-0 win against St. Louis City;
- 90 Minutes Played
- 1 Goal
- 1 Assist
- 2 Chances Created (Most in the match)
- 11 Passes Into The Final Third
- 7 Recoveries
- 100% Tackles Won (4/4)
- 75% Ground Duels Won (6/8)
- 100% Aerial Duels Won (3/3)
He obviously walked away with the MOTM award after this incredible performance. He provides everything you need from a central midfielder and more. You only need to watch his assist to see the technical ability he has;
Pair that ability with the tenacity and energy he provides and you have yourself a very well rounded midfielder. José Cifuentes is a player previously linked to £10m+ moves to the likes of Brighton, that’s how highly thought of he is. The fact that Rangers could be bringing him in for <£2m is truly incredible.
‘Cryptic’ LAFC Tweet And Goal Celebration
Apart from the quality of the goal he scored, there were two other interesting factors that went along with it.
Let’s talk about the actual goal first, a lovely touch with his right to control it before firing the left footed half volley into the corner leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. Great finish.
Now, onto the interesting stuff. LAFC captioned the tweet ‘One more for the road’ there’s two things that could mean. Were they just referring to it being the final goal of the game, or was it a reference to José Cifuentes scoring in his final home game for LAFC? That thought could be a stretch but given the current situation is was an interesting choice of words.
Onto the celebration, it’s fair to say some sections of the LAFC support in the stadium and on social media haven’t been his biggest fans recently. So it was interesting that the Ecuadorian decided to celebrate by shushing the fans and then putting his fingers in his ears. He hasn’t let the fan opinion affect his performances as seen by his numbers last night but it’s obviously something he has taken note of.
Some interesting events to take note of in this transfer saga.
Conclusion
I truly believe that José Cifuentes will become a Rangers player at some point next week. This one has dragged on for almost two months but I believe it’ll be worth it. The 24-year-old will come in at a cut price due to his contract situation and there is potential for massive profit to be made.
Are you excited about José Cifuentes? Or are you just excited for this whole saga to be over?