Whatever happens between now and the end of the season, Glasgow Rangers have been saved from a campaign of mediocrity by appointing Philippe Clement in mid-October.

Under Michael Beale, the Light Blues lost three of their opening seven Premiership matches and even trailed Celtic by eight points in September, as it looked as though the league was over just as it had begun.

Following a dismal 3-1 defeat to Aberdeen, the Englishman was sacked and just two weeks later, Clement stepped into the hot seat and the club have not looked back since.

His success has been made even more surprising considering he has had to essentially utilise the same group of players which Beale had at his disposal, yet the 49-year-old manager has added a steeliness about them which could give them the edge over Celtic.

His activity in the January transfer window is also another reason why he could lead the Gers to plenty more trophies, signing three players who have all made a significant impact thus far.

Who Rangers signed during the winter

With the squad needing to be bolstered, Clement signed Fabio Silva (loan), Oscar Cortes (loan with option to buy) and Mohamed Diomande (loan with an obligation to buy) and they have been inspired signings, to say the least.

The trio have scored six goals for the club already and Diomande looks like he could be destined for greatness, likely landing the Light Blues a major profit in the coming years.

While incomings were required, Clement was also keen on trimming the squad and this involved moving a few players on who were deemed surplus to requirements.

Sam Lammers, who scored just twice since arriving from Atalanta last summer, was sent on loan to FC Utrecht, yet this was expected after a dismal six months for the club.

Moving on Jose Cifuentes, however, was perhaps a surprise, especially as he had not been given much time to really impress either Beale or Clement.

Why Jose Cifuentes moved out on loan

Having signed Diomande, plus seeing the likes of Nico Raskin, Ryan Jack, and Tom Lawrence all return from injury, it was inevitable that someone had to go to avoid such a cramped and competitive position.

The Ecuadorian midfielder ended up joining Brazilian side Cruzeiro earlier this month on a 12-month loan deal which has an option to buy and perhaps a return to South America may see the player return to his best form.

His move was expected to go through earlier than planned, but due to paperwork issues, it was delayed for a week.

Everything is now signed and sealed, and it looks as though that will be the last the Ibrox faithful see of the midfielder as he looks to kickstart his career in Brazil.

How Jose Cifuentes performed before Rangers

The 24-year-old had spent the previous three years at MLS side Los Angeles FC, playing over 100 matches for the club, eventually leading them to glory in the 2022 season as the club secured the title and Cifuentes was a key player throughout.

Across 36 MLS matches in 2022, the midfielder scored seven times while grabbing six assists and these proved crucial as the franchise won the title.

These numbers ranked him third in the whole squad in the league, while the player also ranked second for big chances created (11), fourth for key passes per game (1.3) and third for successful dribbles per game (1.5) as he clearly demonstrated plenty of attacking vigour throughout the season.

These performances obviously attracted Beale and signing a player with the quality that Cifuentes possessed should have significantly boosted the club’s midfield options.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t quite worked out like that, despite the South American shining in the USA, and it is another case of the Gers spending money on a player without receiving much back in return.

Jose Cifuentes’ Rangers statistics

As the summer transfer window edged towards the final few weeks, Cifuentes was on Beale’s radar, and he eventually secured his services for a cut price fee of just £1.2m, due to his LAFC contract expiring in December 2023.

Under Beale, however, the Ecuadorian made just nine starts as the club crashed out of the Champions League at the final hurdle while enduring a difficult start to their Premiership campaign.

Goals

0

Assists

1

Accurate passes per game

37.3

Big chances created

2

Key passes per game

0.6

Considering the midfielder had left LAFC in the middle of their season, it was a surprise when he struggled to get up to speed during games, especially in Scotland, and he was often wasteful in possession.

Of course, it takes new signings time to settle into their new surroundings, especially when you swap Hollywood for Glasgow, but there was something amiss with the player.

By the time he left the club, the £16k-per-week earner had featured just 20 times, with only 14 of them being starts and a fresh beginning could do him the world of good.

The former LAFC maestro failed to demonstrate the attacking qualities that made him such a big hit in America, registering just two big chances created, averaging only 0.6 key passes per game and grabbing one assist across his nine Premiership matches for the Gers.

The midfielder also only ranked seventh among his teammates for accurate passes per game (37.3) in the top flight, along with ranking 14th for accurate long balls per game (1.1) and a lowly 25th for successful dribbles per game (0.1), with the final stat representing a massive drop-off from his dribbling success during the 2022 MLS season.

Some players thrive when they arrive from MLS, yet others often struggle with the physicality of Scottish football, especially as they are not offered the same length of time on the ball as they are elsewhere.

There is no doubt that Cifuentes is technically gifted as a player, but his game just did not suit Rangers and Clement has done the best thing possible by moving him on quickly so that he can fulfil his potential.

Who knows, maybe he might return a better player, but with Diomande looking like he could be a huge asset, Cifuentes may have played his last game for Rangers.