Jose Cifuentes on verge of Rangers departure as Celtic defender attracts summer interest

Rangers star Jose Cifuentes is on the verge of completing a loan move away from Ibrox just months after his arrival from Los Angeles FC.

The midfielder is set to return to Ecuador to finalise his documentation before travelling to Brazil ahead of his loan move to Cruzeiro, according to reports from the Daily Record.

The outlet explains that Cifuentes is in the final stages of personal terms with the Belo Horizonte outfit, with the transfer window in Brazil open until 7 March. Local sources in Brazil have told IbroxNews that Cruzeiro will have the option to buy the player on a permanent at the end of his loan spell if he proves himself to be a roaring success.

Cifunetes was one of 11 players signed by former boss Michael Beale. He arrived in the summer for an undisclosed fee after four years in the MLS.

The 19-time Ecuador international has struggled to cope with the demands at Ibrox and has failed to score in any of his nine league appearances, registering just one assist. He has largely been a peripheral figure in Philippe Clement’s team and hasn’t played a league game since 9 December in a 3-1 victory over Dundee FC.

Celtic rejected late January bid for defender as Rodgers prioritises squad depth

Celtic centre back Stephen Walsh was the subject of late January interest from an unnamed German team, according to reports from Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph.

Joseph added that the Hoops quickly knocked back any late advances for the 24-year-old as Celtic look to maintain their squad depth for the title run-in.

Walsh has played just four league games for Celtic this season, despite signing a new four-year deal with the club in August. His lack of first team football has led to speculation about his future along with another out of favour centre back Gustaf Lagerbielke. 

Joseph explained on The Celtic Exchange Podcast: “Stephen Welsh, I understand Celtic very quickly knocked back a loan with an option to buy bid from a team in Germany.

“There’s something that the European leagues in Italy, France and Germany like about Stephen Welsh and there’s a lot that Celtic like about him as well.

“So they’ve kept them, they've signed him up on a new deal and they’re in a strong position. But I think we could see more interest in Welsh in the summer.”