Rangers have been dealt a blow as it has now emerged that a member of Europe’s elite have now made contact to sign a member of Philippe Clement’s squad as they look to bolster their own ranks in the coming months.
Rangers improving too late
Rangers have seen an upturn in form recently, but remain well off the pace in the hunt for the Scottish Premiership title. Though they beat Celtic 3-0 in the last meeting between the two sides, they remain 10 points behind Brendan Rodgers’ side, who also boast a game in hand on their rivals.
|
Rangers’ next five SPL fixtures |
|---|
|
Ross County (Home) |
|
Hearts (Away) |
|
St Mirren (Home) |
|
Kilmarnock (Away) |
|
Motherwell (Home) |
Well clear of anyone else and sitting in second place, it is threatening to be another trophyless season for Clement’s side. Meanwhile, a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United in the Europa League has left Rangers’ chances of automatic qualification into the next round of the competition hanging by a thread.
Related
Big Dessers upgrade: Rangers eye up move for “extremely talented” striker
Rangers are seeking to add more firepower this month, so could they sign an out-of-favour Premier League striker who would be Cyriel Dessers upgrade?
Instead, they will need to get a result against Belgian side Union Saint Gilloise to ensure that they make it into a qualification spot for the knockout rounds despite having what many would deem a strong campaign in Europe’s secondary competition.
While the breakthrough of Hamza Igamane has been a joy for Rangers fans, it has otherwise been a tricky season to date and there are still reservations over whether Clement is the right man to take them forwards in the long term.
Rangers rocked by Chelsea’s Jefte interest
Now, a fresh report has claimed that Chelsea are now plotting a potential summer move to sign exciting fullback Jefte, and have already contacted his representatives over a Stamford Bridge switch.
The Brazilian has been one of the club’s standout performances so far this season, impressing plenty at Ibrox since his arrival from Brazilian side Fluminense in the summer.
Still just 21-years-old, he has caught the attention of clubs around Europe and as per the report, Chelsea “have made initial contact with Jefte’s representatives” as they look to find an understudy for Marc Cucurella in west London.
It is added that there is also “other interest from a handful of clubs on the continent” in what could turn into a scramble for the signature of the Rangers youngster, who is believed to have penned an £8,000 a week deal at Ibrox until 2028.
Clement is understandably a big fan of Jefte, dubbing him “very talented” months after his arrival at Ibrox, but that talent may well see him depart Scotland sooner than most Rangers fans would like.
He is not the only Rangers man in the spotlight either, with teammate Igamane attracting Premier League interest too in the form of Tottenham and Everton. With that in mind, it could prove challenging for Clement and co. to hold onto their star men this summer.