Glasgow Rangers will be working hard to secure another signing or two before the January transfer window slams shut tomorrow.
Philippe Clement’s side have returned from the winter break in solid fashion, securing three victories in a row, but it is no secret that the Belgian manager is looking to add some fresh faces to his squad ahead of a Premiership title tussle with Celtic.
Mohammed Diomande was the Gers' second winter arrival, joining on an initial loan deal from Danish side FC Nordsjaelland with an obligation to buy in the summer, and it could be a shrewd signing.
Brazilian left-back Jefte also looked like he was closing in on a move to Ibrox, but recent reports have suggested that no deal has been agreed for the player, although things could change suddenly on deadline day.
The 49-year-old manager will be working hard to further improve the squad, and they could be close to landing a young South American talent…
Rangers search for new signings
Earlier this week, a link emerged out of the blue that stated Rangers were showing interest in Colombian winger Oscar Cortes with regard to a potential winter swoop, according to prominent journalist Chris Jack.
Fast-forward a couple of days and Jack has provided an update on their chase for the highly rated youngster, saying:
“Rangers are still working to finalise a deal for Oscar Cortes. Suggestions of a previous knee injury have been dismissed. No truth in reports linking Rabbi Matondo with a move to Germany.”
This is promising news with regard to signing Cortes, and it looks as though it could be a loan move with, hopefully, an option to buy in the summer.
While Jack dismissed the notion that Matondo could depart this month, things often change without prior warning in the last few days of the transfer window.
The former Schalke man has improved this season, yet Cortes may be an upgrade on the Welshman, especially if he can hit the ground running.
Rabbi Matondo has improved this season
Having joined in the summer of 2022 for around £3m, much was expected of the rapid young winger, especially as he had scored ten goals for Cercle Brugge the season prior.
Matondo endured a difficult debut campaign at Ibrox, however, registering only five assists in 28 matches, and it looked as though Michael Beale was going to move him on last summer following just 12 months at Ibrox.
The 23-year-old knuckled down in pre-season and began to fight for his place, impressing during the opening few weeks of the campaign.
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Not only did he score against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League qualifiers, but he also began to show the sort of form which led Giovanni van Bronckhorst to splash millions on him in the first place.
While he has had to battle an injury that has kept him out of a few matches this term, along with competing for a spot on the left wing with Abdallah Sima, the former Manchester City starlet is still a useful option to have.
If Clement can get a deal for Cortes over the line before tomorrow night, however, Matondo may find his chances limited due to his presence.
Oscar Cortes could be an ideal Sima replacement on the left wing
Rangers were given horrible news last week that Sima will be out of action for the foreseeable future due to suffering an injury while training with Senegal at the African Cup of Nations, and it is a huge blow for the club.
The on-loan winger has scored 15 times this term and the Ibrox side are losing one of their most reliable attacking threats.
Matondo can offer pace and the ability to take the ball past opponents, yet he does not have the same clinical nature as Sima and this is a big worry.
Cortes, on the other hand, is much more flexible – being able to operate out wide or through the middle – and this could lead him to become a perfect replacement for Sima on the left flank.
Although right-footed, the youngster could use his ability to cut in from the left to devastating effect. His spell at Lens has not gone to plan since joining from Colombian side Millonarios last summer, scoring just once and grabbing an assist in four Ligue 1 matches, yet he has not been given enough time to shine.
Despite averaging only 13 minutes per game, the 20-year-old has still created one big chance while having a goal conversion rate of 100% and this indicates that if he appeared more regularly, he could be an even bigger threat.
His performances for Colombia during the U20 World Cup last year were arguably what led him to making the move to Europe, as he was one of the stars of the competition.
Indeed, not only did he rank second in the tournament for overall Sofascore rating (7.6), but he also ranked fourth for goals and assists (six) and first for big chances created (four), showcasing his wonderful potential alongside other emerging talents.
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Signing a player with this type of potential could be vital for Clement, as if Cortes hits the ground running, the Gers could secure a profit on him in the next few years.
Rangers Journal founder Kai Watson lauded the youngster amid the links to the Light Blues, saying: "Rangers need options on the wing and the young Colombian is a very exciting prospect.
“He’ll provide pace, power and will get goal contributions.”
It looks as though he needs a fresh start in order to build on his displays for his country last year and a move to Rangers could certainly provide him with that.
Matondo has shown great maturity to come back after a poor first season at the club to provide Clement with a solid option on the wing, but Cortes is clearly showing much bigger potential.
The next 24 hours will be key to any sort of progress regarding a deal and Clement will be hoping it is sorted swiftly, so he can potentially move on to other targets before the window closes.