Fabrizio Romano reports that an agreement has been reached to sign Jefte from Fluminense. The Rio-born 20-year-old will cut short his loan spell at Cypriot outfit APOEL before touching down in Glasgow, signing a deal until the summer of 2027.
Who is Jefte, Rangers third January signing?
Typically for a full-back born and raised in the home of Jogo Bonito, Jefte is a full-back who prides himself upon his talents in the final third. He appears supremely confident with the ball at his feet. Always forward-thinking. A dangerous set-piece taker and boasting an eye for goal too.
The influence of Real Madrid icon Marcelo – one of the most creative and technically gifted players of his generation – stands out a mile.
“I try to show my skill and creativity,” Jefte told Globo Esporte back in 2021. “At my former club, I played on the wing too, so I already had the skills. I just needed to improve my marking.
“I’m inspired by Marcelo. He’s very different and makes absurd plays on the wing. I always watch videos of him and imagine being like him one day. Playing professionally for Fluminense, for the national team and then in Europe.”‘My biggest dream’
Jefte, as things stand, is yet to tick any of those three ambitions off his bucket list. He did not make a single first-team appearance for Fluminense before moving on loan to Cyprus. With Rangers seemingly on the verge of making him their latest January addition after Fabio Silva and Mohamed Diomande, however, Jefte will undoubtedly give his international prospects a shot in the arm should he fulfil his undoubted potential on this side of the Atlantic.
“My biggest dream is to give the best to my father and mother. (I want to) become a professional, win titles and play outside of Brazil,” adds the youngster, who has an impressive three goals and four assists from 20 appearances at APOEL.
“I want to follow in Marcelo’s footsteps.”
Real Madrid and the Brazilian national team may be a pipe dream for now. But a Rangers side chugging along impressively under Philippe Clement is not a bad place to start ticking off those objectives.
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