Rangers are closing in on Los Angeles FC star Jose Cifuentes - but things could have been very different with the midfielder opening the door for a move to Celtic.
The 24–year-old is heading into the final year of his LAFC contract and a move to the Scottish Premiership is rapidly gathering pace with Michael Beale set to bring the Ecuador international to Europe from Major League Soccer ahead of a host of clubs who have been tracking him as he nears the end of his deal. However, things could have been very different had a deal to move to the green side of Glasgow came to fruition.
Before leaving America de Quito for the US back in 2019, Cifuentes was adamant that he was set to decide between a move to Manchester City and Neil Lennon's Hoops as he targeted a dream switch to Europe. Asked about his hopes for the following season after impressing for Ecuador at the Under 20s World Cup he said: "My aim is to play in Europe.
"I don't know which club I will sign for yet - either Manchester City or Celtic. Nothing has been decided yet.
"I deserve my opportunity to play in Europe, it's where I have to be. And my mentality is that I am going to be in Europe for a long time.
"I have spent a lot of time studying and they taught me many things, including English which I now understand better. To become a great footballer, I must learn languages and not just English."
It's not the first time that both Glasgow heavyweights have shown an interest in the same player. However, Rangers' fans will hope that passing on Cifuentes proves to be a misstep by their rivals.
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