The Colombian winger’s representatives, Top Athlete Management, has provided an insight into how the deal was concluded
Oscar Cortes rejoined Rangers on a second season-long loan spell from French side RC Lens last month, with the Ibrox club having an obligation to buy the winger next summer.
The 20-year-old – capped once by Colombian at senior level – will then put pen to paper on a four-year contract through to 2029, having initially arrived in Glasgow back in February on a six-month loan with an option-to-buy. However, his season was cruelly cut short by a serious knee injury later that month after playing just seven games for Philippe Clement’s side.
Now details have emerged about how a deal for Cortes was struck with Rangers. The player’s representatives, Top Athlete Management, have provided an insight into the key discussions that were held with club chiefs at their first TransferRoom summit – world football’s online marketplace – since becoming a ‘Trusted Agency’ on the platform.
The two-day event, which brings together over 700 clubs and 400 agencies from across the globe and is held in person a few times per year, was staged in Mexico earlier this summer. Light Blues director of football recruitment Nils Koppen was in attendance to network and hold a series of one-to-one meetings with a number of signing targets’ representatives.
It has been a challenge for South American football agents to convince clubs in Europe to put their faith in players and meet their specific market needs, with club officials not keen to take a gamble on players who haven’t been tasted at the top “top level.” However, the Gers were willing to take a leap of faith on Cortes after direct talks took place in Lisbon back in November 2023 led to the youngster’s loan switch from the Ligue 1 side.
Miguel Cardona, sporting director of Top Athlete Management revealed how the deal was facilitated. He explained: “Through TransferRoom we had the opportunity to create exchanges, meetings and all of this. We came to a good deal and Oscar Cortes will continue at Rangers. It’s a club that has helped him greatly to develop and adapt in Europe. I think he’s on a good path and ideally will all the help that TransferRoom provided we’ll continue our relationship, opening paths to new markets.
“These days the work that Rangers is doing at a sporting level and with scouting, you can see that it’s a serious club. There are players from South America that are just arriving, and the club, firstly in how they adapt the players to be comfortable in terms of language, that they learn to have good habits… I feel that this is what Rangers is focusing on.”
Tomas Sarmiento, president and owner of the Colombian-based agency, believes the opportunity to get straight down to business in with club chiefs is a major selling point of a TransferRoom. He reckons the summit can help other agencies give South American talents the platform to make their big breakthrough in Europe.
He stated: “I’d say a lot of people are cautious about introducing Latin American players to the European market as they’ve not been tested at what you would consider to be the higher echelon. So what these doors let us do is actually talk to those decision makers and let us get into detail about what those doubts might be and how we can clear them up.
“Our main focus is finding the prominent new young talent in Colombia and looking to export them to the most prominent markets here in this side of the world. I think joining TransferRoom as a Trusted Agent is very much to position us in the further thinking of the football market as a whole. I believe that TransferRoom represents more of the cutting edge of where the market it evolving to, and it really leads you to sitting with the big boys.
“What this space gives us that’s very different from everything else is a space to specifically talk business. So you can use valuable networking and contacts, and make deals in the future. Definitely one of the biggest challenges is getting to the right people’s doorsteps and being able to get those conversations going that are going to lead to the real deals and the right moves. Because it’s also very much about not just jumping on every opportunity, but making sure the right opportunity is the one that comes about. And TransferRoom leads you to getting those.”
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