Director says £3.1m ace is ‘negotiating’ transfer but Rangers deal looks dead now

Director says £3.1m ace is ‘negotiating’ transfer but Rangers deal looks dead now

While Rangers appear to have accepted defeat in their pursuit of a player near the top of the club’s summer wishlist, this does not rule out a summer departure. In fact, a relocation to England rather than Scotland seems more plausible by the day. Rangers have had their fair share of ‘ones that went away’.

If things had gone differently, Joey Veerman, Andreas Skov Olsen, Albert Gudmundsson, Xavi Simons, Ian Maatsen, and more might have called Ibrox home. Five players who would undoubtedly fetch prices in excess of £30 million nowadays. Whether we will one day be discussing Jose Cordoba as a center-back capable of transferring for a similarly eye-watering amount, only time will tell.

Rangers‘ loss, however, looks certain to be Norwich City’s gain; the club from England’s second tier closing in on a deal that will set them back £3.1 million.

Norwich City overtake Rangers in Jose Cordoba race

Daniel Borimov, Levski Sofia’s executive director, does not confirm or deny whether Carrow Road will be Cordoba’s destination. But, while admitting that talks with a couple of as-yet unnamed ‘foreign clubs’ are underway, a resolution to the Cordoba saga should be only days away.

It all depends on the pricing. If the corresponding player is sold, we shall hunt for a replacement in that position. If necessary, and the player we have targeted requires a transfer price, we will deduct it.” Rangers held advanced negotiations with Cordoba in May, and the Panama international was left out of Levski Sofia’s squad the following weekend as a result.

TEMA Sport, a Bulgarian website, has now thrown light on why Norwich have overtaken Rangers in a battle Philippe Clement’s team looked sure to win, claiming that the Glasgow giants intended to pay the £3.1 million cost in performance-based add-ons rather than upfront. One suspects, then, that Norwich are willing to offer a bigger initial fee for a man who will reportedly earn £7,000-a-week in East Anglia.

Rangers, for the most part, aren’t spending much time licking their wounds and feeling sorry for themselves. The Scottish Premiership runners-up almost immediately shifted their attention to Thomas Galdames, a 25-year-old Chilean who should be available at a low sum with his contract with Argentine club Godoy Cruz expiring in a few months.

“I’ve got a contract in Godoy Cruz until December. Mine and their plan is to sell me immediately,” Galdames, who can also play left back, told En Cancha, hinting that Europe will be his destination. “My agent is working on it. I am confident that by moving to Europe and playing in a tough league, I will continue to progress. “My career has been extremely progressive, particularly upwardly. I hope that anything comes out.

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