South American press are reporting today that Rangers target José Ángel Córdoba Chambers has signed a ‘preliminary’ contract, which might be a mistranslation of ‘precontract’ which we’re pretty sure you can’t sign any earlier than 6 months before end of current deal.

Indeed, his current team, Levski Sofia, confirmed in 2022 that he had signed a 3-year deal to expire July 1st 2025, so how Rangers are able to negotiate directly with him and get him to sign now outside of a window we’re not absolutely sure.

The rules do state essentially that the window is just for the legal registration of a player, and that bids and contacts can be made outside of it, but they have to follow the rules.

And of those rules is a courting club cannot contact a player directly, and must officially make an approach to the players’ club – going by both Panamanian and Bulgarian press, this appears to have taken place, with Sofia giving permission.

And that allowed Rangers to negotiate with the player and his agent, for the right price, which is anywhere from £1.5M to £4M depending on who you believe. Bulgarian press claim £3.2M.

Our logic would suggest nearer the higher bracket, because they appear, appear, to have given permission for Rangers to move in for the South American and they aren’t going to do that for pennies.

But this is all conjecture – both countries’ press believe he’s joined Rangers, and he was at Ibrox recently and did follow/unfollow the clubs’ social media channels.

He does appear to be the first summer signing, and with just 11 days to go till the window opens, the rebuild is happening.