‘Key factor’ emerges as Rangers secure another long-term signing – report

Oscar Cortes’ own desire to stay at Rangers was a “key factor” in the club agreeing a deal to keep him, according to Rangers Review.

The outlet reported on their website on 3 June after the club announced the Lens winger is set to spend next season on loan with the Light Blues before the obligation to make a permanent move in a year’s time that the 20-year-old is settled in Glasgow and enjoying working under manager Philippe Clement.

That is despite only managing to make seven first-team appearances for the club last season before his campaign was ended by injury, having arrived on a temporary deal with a permanent option in the January window.

Cortes’ signing is the second long-term deal wrapped up so far this summer after the confirmed arrival of left-back Jefte on a four-year deal, following complications over a January deal for the Brazilian, with veteran defender Leon Balogun also signing a one-year contract extension.

Chris Jack reported for Rangers Review on 1 June that Lens wanted a fee of around £4million for Colombian Cortes.

Philippe Clement gets off to fast start in Rangers overhaul

Rangers are likely to have committed to spending significant money next year so it is a measure of how quickly he looked at home in Clement’s side last term that they were willing to do so after his audition was cut short.

His injury absence is one of many where fans may wonder if the dismal end to the season could have been avoided had players been available for key games.

There is plenty of business still to do this summer if the Gers are going to revamp a squad which ultimately fought its way ahead of Celtic from a long way behind and then squandered all that hard work.

Cortes’ original arrival was nominally to fill the gap left by fellow loanee Abdallah Sima’s own long-term injury, and with the Brighton man potentially out of the club’s price-range for a return it is a positive that a deal has been done to lock down the likely-cheaper man, as long as he can pick up where he left off.

And it should keep a decent amount of whatever budget is available at Ibrox free to spend on other necessary targets, although it arguably only increases the pressure on Clement and Nils Koppen to get this overhaul right and avoid the prospect of yet another attempt next summer.

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