Factfile: all you need to know about Rangers’ main signing targets

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Factfile: all you need to know about Rangers’ main signing targets
 Article by: Richard Fillingham

Rangers are currently being linked with a massive host of players, both UK-based and abroad. Here, Ibrox Noise takes you through a cherry-picked selection of those you may be less familiar, with everything you did not know about some of the gents Pedro Caixinha is said to be eyeing up.


Carlos Peña:

Carlos Peña, who turned 27 in March, is a highly rated 5’10” midfielder who plays for both C.D. Guadalajara and the Mexico National team.

In May 2011, Peña joined Ascenso MX side Club León. He appeared in 31 matches during his first campaign with Los Panzas Verdes, as the club was promoted from the play-offs. In 2013–14 Peña scored 12 goals, as León was crowned champions of both Apertura and Clausura tournaments (the latter by defeating his former club Pachuca).

On 6 December 2015, C.D. Guadalajara announced they had signed Peña with a reported transfer fee of $8 million. Peña scored on his debut against Veracruz on 10 January 2016. Despite a slow start to the Clausura 2016 season, Peña scored seven goals in 17 appearances. However, he has received criticism for missed penalties during really crucial matches.

On December 7th 2016, it was announced that Pena had returned to Club León after playing a year for Guadalajara.

Pedro Caixinha knows him well from his time as manager of Santos Laguna and understands that Carlos had a few off the park problems last season, but feels that bringing him to Ibrox with his football ability will be a huge bonus for a new style Rangers team. His football skills are not in question and he has won 19 caps for the Mexico International team already and played in the last World Cup in Brazil.

Fabio Cardoso:

According to a newspaper report (so it must be true) that Rangers are also chasing 23-year-old centre-back Fabio Cardoso the 6’ 1”, Vitoria Setubal defender who has reputedly three years left on his contract and is likely to cost £1.25million for Rangers to have any chance of gaining his services.

Despite only being 23, Cardoso has already made more than 60 appearances in the Portuguese top-flight, as well as a further 55 in the second-tier. He is a Portugal Under-20s international, and has been capped four times by the side and Cardoso has also been called into Rui Jorge’s Under-21s squad.  However he is yet to make an appearance for them.

Jamie Walker:

Jamie Walker, who turns 24 in June, has caught the eye of the Ibrox scouts with his outstanding and consistent play last season. He is a wide left-sided player who made great progress through the Jam Tarts’ ranks since he was only 10 years-old.

He is from Sighthill, Edinburgh and operates mainly as a winger, but can also play in a deeper wide midfield role, especially in the difficult away games when he can quickly turn defence into attack. He is no shrinking violet as he also knows how to look after himself on the park by gathering 8 bookings last year.

Jamie scored 15 goals in 39 games for the Tynecastle side with an excellent eye for goal. In season 2015-16 he played 27 games and scored 7 goals and in season 2014-15 he played 35 matches and scored a very respectable 11 goals. That is a very decent scoring record that would probably be improved playing in a much better team like Rangers.

Ben Henaghan:

Ben Heneghan, the 23-year-old 6’ 3.5” strong and composed Fir Park defender who is regarded as being decent on the ball looks set for an extremely bright future if Rangers follow up their initial interest in signing the lad.

Ben is from Salford and was signed by Mark McGhee for the Steelmen after two good years with Chester.

He has another year left on his contract and the Fir Park club, who are always a selling club, admit they would have to accept a fee of around the £500,000 mark.

Ben began his professional career with Everton and initially operated as a right-back before moving into his preferred central defensive position, before switching to Stoke City. Following his release from the Britannia Stadium at the end of the 2013-14 season, he signed for Chester after impressing on trial.

He has performed well in the SPL for Motherwell and deserves to move on to a much better club, to improve his full potential as a top class centre half.

Liam Lindsay:

Liam Lindsay, the 21-year-old, 6’ 3” Partick Thistle centre half is reputed to be interesting Rangers to become part of the new defensive team. If the Gers want to land a tall Scottish defender, then there may be few better options out there than this one, and at just 21, he could be the long-term centre back the club are looking for – if Caixinha is given enough funds to complete the deal.

Lindsay has come through the ranks with Partick Thistle, and has now racked up more than 70 first-team appearances for the club, and he has scored an impressive seven goals this term and the ‘Gers could be keen to add him to their defensive options this summer.

A fee of around £500,000 could secure the services of Lindsay, and with English clubs interested, Rangers may have to move quickly to land their man.

SIGNING THREE MEXICANS

Yesterday, Fox Sports from Mexico claimed that Carlos Peña will be moving to Rangers this summer. There was no ‘if’ about it, Fox Sports treated the Ibrox move as a fact.  Another follow up story today it claimed that although it’s not official, the deal is ‘practically done’.

But the most interesting information on their update is that Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha would be keen on signing two more players from the Mexican league, where he worked between 2013 and 2015.

Fox reporter Francisco Montes claims that Javier Abella and Eduardo Herrera have been both requested by the Rangers manager. Abella, is a top class 23-year-old right-back, who has already played under Caixinha at Santos Laguna, having made his first team debut under him.

Herrera, however, would be a more unlikely transfer. The striker has just joined Veracruz, and according to Fox Sports, there are ‘fewer possibilities’ for Rangers to sign him, although the interest is real.

The Scottish Premiership could be getting a Mexican feel if Caixinha gets his way.

Naturally this list is far from exhaustive, with the likes of Bruno Alves and Steven Naismith in there too, but we will see what other names crop up. We are sure they will.

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11 COMMENTS

  1. I would not be shocked if we sign none of these players. It all seems to hinge on the fire sale and how much we raise.

    Kings season ticket promise was a pathetic attempt at emotional blackmail.

    To deflect from the fact he hasn't honoured his promises of investment.

    The reality is the season ticket money is to fund the club, wages and all, not to be splashed in one go. What is going to fund club for the rest of the season? More soft loans so king can buy up the club on the cheap whilst preventing outside investment?

    Come on guys, wise up.

    • By the club on the cheap ? Lol how can he get cheaper than last sale £1.00 , he may not be throwing cash at us bt I'm certain guys in charge are doing their best whether that will be good enough is certainly debateable

  2. E-Chef

    Quite correct sir…. I hope someone is keeping a tally of this so when the first line up of the season comes in, we see just how many have come and left, its a fckin circus, a flea circus that is…no one who is any good will come in…it may be some slightly better players replace a couple let go for free but the revolving door talked about is a joke….remember the hype last season close season pre sales?Remember the hype the season before? Come on guys be realistic….it aint going to change any time soon…we need investment…we need honest money coming in and we need to be back on the LSE….only then will you see any improvement….until then this is what we are, a top 5 team at best.

    GSTQ

  3. Calm yourselves down to a panic FFS. So much negativity, its one thing to monitor financial goings on at our great club but it's another thing to just rain on everyone's parade. Let's see what happens. Keep the faith and follow the club with a bit more positivity, not asking for naivety but come on lads cheer up, we will be back and we will get back on top, it might not be next year but it will come in time and we will enjoy like most of us have never before, for too long many of us took success for granted. You will know from the digits on my moniker that I've been through it all since I followed the bears l, as have we all, the tides will turn and what a time it will be when that comes.

    • I agree with you Albertz78. And to all bears fans who complain about the club having no money, what are you doing to raise money for the club? Going to the pub, sitting at home watching the Games? The club needs our money as well. Don't buy a strip by the way. WATP.

    • Having being born in the 50's…seeing some of our greatest ever players being dumped many times and coming up short 9 times in a row, I too have been through the wringer and have seen us at our best and our absolute worst, and its no exaggeration to say this is definitely the worst I have ever experienced in my many years.

      But, and its quite an interesting point, even when we were loosing 9 iar we never had cause to question those custodians running the club, hell we didn't even know them, that's how it was then….you trusted those in charge to make it right and invariably they did and we once again were the dominant force.

      Can you, or anyone else, hand on heart here, believe that they have faith these custodians of our great club will turn us round and make us a winning team again? If you can answer that truthfully you will be half way to understanding our position….

      As for what are we and every other Rangers fan doing to raise money for the club? WTF do you think people are doing, they are saving the club by buying ST's, some are paying into the fan ownership schemes etc etc….what is King doing? I bet any ST holder has paid in more this year than he has…its not about what are we the fans doing…its about what are they the board are doing about it.

      Well lets see, they couldn't win a Treble when we were out of the top flight and at least we had that to chuck at them …what do we have now? 40 points adrift, the biggest ever home defeat to them, a whole season unbeaten, a Treble and an unimaginable gap between them and anyone else….and that's not worth complaining about? Sorry but we are now a shell and a husk of what we once were….and that is not going to change any time soon…oh and we now have a generation of kids who don't even own a Gers top….what a fuckin mess

      GSTQ

    • GordoRFC I respect you sir as a Rangers Fan 100% but I fail to see what is the alternative ..Do we go backwards to another fucking Charlatan who cares not a jot for our great club or do we stick with it see off Ashely and move forward

  4. I agree with most of the comments but the bottom line is king may not have giving us the war chest that was promised but he has stabilised the club and without having us in any real danger. There hasn't been missed wages, reports of loans not being payed, for once the behind the seasons drama doesn't look so doom and gloom although not a thriving business and a merch deal to sort out so our kids can once again walk proudly wearing our badge, were certainly no where near the levels of 5 years ago and that's a fact!

    All bears know deep down that this was always going to be the situation we were going to be in until we have a few cracks at Europe, blend some kids in and get some sell on value for the first few years on players until we can buy a squad that will challenge.

    Warburton put that plan to bed with his reckless recruitment policy so Ped has no choice but to revamp and looking at 3 Mexicans and the rest all Scottish players is hardly a bad strategy. We've been crying out for a bit foreign talent and players that know what it's like to play In Scotland and at the first time of asking Ped is linked with these guys and it's still not good enough for the fans

    Come on bears were called the best supporters in the world for a reason, let's show it and just back the guy. Who knows with fresh blood and the memories of this season living with guys like Miller and wallace they will be keen to come on all guns blazing next season and yeah the title is a stretch but if we can deliver a more competitive season and not throw away the stupid points against bottom of the league dross like we did last season we will defo secure second comfortably which is never acceptable for rangers 100% but at this point in time what bear wouldn't say that it's a more realistic target?

    Hopefully there is truth to some of these targets, moult, walker,cardoso, naismith, alves, half a first 11 I would be happy to see on a rangers team sheet.

    WATP No Surrender

  5. Worrying sign – I think. Traditionally Latin American, South American, Portuguese players have not adapted well to Scottish football in deepest winter!

  6. I agree with Albertz 87 And dont knock the Mexicans There a lot of Good & Gutsy Players From South of The Border.

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