Rangers misfit issues 74-word message after sealing loan move as he sends promise to new club
The midfielder made just 20 appearances for the Light Blues and has now departed for Greece
Rangers have added Jose Cifuentes to their long list of summer departures after the midfielder finally joined Aris Thessaloniki on a season-long loan on Tuesday night.
The Greek outfit have an option-to-buy clause inserted into the deal for the Ecuador international, who is under contract at Ibrox until 2027 and has played only 20 games across all competitions for the Light Blues.
Cifuentes returned to South America with Cruzeiro in February on a 12-month loan move after falling out of favour under Philippe Clement. But that deal was cut short by the Brazilian club last week after the 25-year-old failed to make an impact in just 12 appearances.
He will now attempt to revive his career with an Aris side that finished 5th in the 14-team Super League last season and recapture the sort of form that earned him a move to Glasgow from MLS club Los Angeles FC in the first place, where he enjoyed a successful two-and-a-half year spell.
Rangers announced his exit via a social media post just hours before they faced Dynamo Kyiv in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier, wishing the player well in Greece. Cifuentes - capped 21 times by his country - was part of Ecuador’s Copa America squad earlier this summer, but didn’t feature in any of their games throughout the competition.
Delivering his first message to Aris supporters via the club’s website after making the transfer official, Cifuentes said: “I am happy that I am now a member of the ARIS family. I know a lot about my new team. I am looking forward to playing in front of the ARIS fans, who create a warm atmosphere at the games and support the team with passion. I will try with all my strength to help ARIS to have a successful season, to reach high and with its completion to have achieved our goals.”