Best decision’: £1.2m man explains why he did not leave Rangers for English or Turkish club.
Jose Cifuentes acknowledges that before completing his transfer from Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers to Cruzeiro this month, he received proposals from teams in Russia, Turkey, and England.
Mohamed Diomande has already made significantly more of an impact in just five games in Scotland’s top division than his successor did in the first half of the current campaign.
Jose Cifuentes failed not score in any of his 20 Rangers games, despite having a strong goalscoring record in the Major League Soccer (MLS) with LAFC. Granted, a lot of his games were spent in an unflattering deep-lying area.
Diomande, who was brought in from Nordsjaelland to take over a position that Cifuentes found difficult to claim, has already scored twice. He opened Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Hearts with a fantastic drive that zipped into the far corner.
Furthermore, Diomande’s arrival and his rapid impact make it seem doubtful that Cifuentes will have much of a future under a manager in Philippe Clement, who has consistently shown doubts about his abilities. Cifuentes’ Ibrox contract has an option-to-buy clause worth allegedly around £4.5 million.
Has Jose Cifuentes played his final game for Rangers?
A few weeks ago, Cifuentes signed a contract with Cruzeiro on loan, with a permanent condition.
The Ecuadorian international gives an explanation for his choice, acknowledging that family concerns played a major, though not exclusive, role in his decision to return to South America over a number of other choices.
Two Russian teams expressed interest in signing me.That was something that could not be done, though, because of the ongoing conflict there, Cifuentes told Globo Esporte.Certain American and European teams were unable to get funding from Russia.
“The English Championship has a team from Turkey on it.
Theoretically, it would last for five months.It would therefore be problematic to move my family from their current home to a new one.I’m here because I had to make the best choice.
Mohamed Diomande helps Rangers stay top
Last Saturday, Cifuentes made his long-awaited Cruzeiro debut, entering the game late in a 2-0 victory off the bench. The exact amount Cruzeiro would have to spend to sign the 24-year-old on a permanent basis is still unknown, despite Rangers having spent £1.2 million to bring the former America de Quito player to Ibrox.
“I’m in good shape,” Cifuentes continues, happy to be back in sunny South America after feeling the “cold” of Glasgow.
“I work and communicate with the individuals in charge of my physical performance every day in an effort to get better. I also believe that I’m adapting well. My teammates seems to have welcomed me and are working rapidly to facilitate my assimilation.
With another strong performance in Rangers’ 2-1 comeback victory over Kilmarnock on Wednesday, the team maintained its top spot in the Premiership standings.
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