LAFC, Rangers reach Jose Cifuentes agreement

Jose Cifuentes is leaving Los Angeles earlier than expected.

Scottish giants Rangers are set to sign Ecuadorian midfielder Jose Cifuentes immediately. This follows the midfielder agreeing to join the Scottish club in January 2024 upon the expiration of his current deal.

Cifuentes, 24, joined LAFC for $3M from Universidad Católica in Ecuador in 2020. Upon arriving, Cifuentes hit the ground running and has since developed into one of the best midfielders in the league. Across 129 appearances, Cifuentes has 15 goals and 19 assists playing as an all-action 8. LAFC isnt the only team Cifuentes became a regular during the last four years as he also became a regular with an emerging Ecuadorian National Team.

The highlight of Cifuentes’s LAFC tenure came during the 2022 season, where Cifuentes played a key role in helping the club lift the Supporter’s Shield and MLS Cup. Cifuentes finished last season with a career-best seven goals and six assists in 36 appearances. 2023 has been a different story.

Whether it’s having his head turned with European opportunities coming his way or just needing a change of scenery, Cifuentes has not been the potent force fans have become accustomed to. While looking disinterested at times, he remains in elite territory for ball progression but the end product has disappeared. In 19 appearances, the 24-year-old has just a goal and three assists, disappointing after such a brilliant season.

We’ll get an answer sooner than later as to what the problem may have been this season, as Cifuentes will be in Glasgow sooner than later. An incredible talent with room to grow, Rangers are getting a bargain for a fee believed to be around $1M. All the while LAFC get some money off a player they would have otherwise lost for free. Cifuentes’s departure will also open up a U-22 spot, the midfielder has been designated under the initiative since its introduction.