Clement's new lieutenant 'named', Jefte can reach Chelsea and Dessers bid pondered - Rangers transfer state of play
Philippe Clement is in no doubt that Jefte can go onto play at Chelsea's level - but insists the full back's immediate future is best served at Ibrox.
The Brazilian has emerged as a shock target for the Premier League club despite only joining the Gers from Fluminense for £700,000 last summer. The Blues have yet to make official contact with Rangers but Jefte's agents have informed the club that their client is interesting several teams down south and in Europe. Ibrox transfer chiefs are keen to re-establish the club's failing player transfer model and would be entertain the prospect of selling Jefte if the price is right. But boss Clement wants the 21-year-old so stick around for now.
Speaking ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash with Union Saint-Gilloise, Clement was asked if the defender has a higher ceiling than Rangers, to which he replied: "I'm 100 per cent sure yes. I know those kinds of clubs as I have had some players going there or to similar clubs.
"If he makes a normal evolution from what he has been doing now, I think one day he will be ready for that. But for the moment it's too early and I think this is a really good place for him to develop so he's totally not busy with all these rumours. That’s not something new. I had the same in Genk. Trossard could have left also earlier in Genk, to go to the Premier League.
“We had talks with him about that, about staying. Also other players, like Sander Berge. So it's important to do the right step at the right moment. Because you see also a lot of players making a step higher and not being ready, and they're losing themselves because they're not playing afterward, because they were not ready.
“So it was the same in Bruges with players. It was the same in Monaco with players. I've been speaking with players around that also.
“And I understand one moment when it's a good situation for the club and the player. And it's not the nicest thing as a manager, but you need to let them go also. And you need to be proud of them that they can make that step. So we will work in the same way at Rangers, in a similar way that we did before.”
Cyriel Dessers has been in red-hot form in recent weeks amid doubts about the Nigerian international's long-term future at Ibrox. The 30-year-old has been heavily linked with a move back to Italy with Cagliarli, but Dessers himself has insisted there have been no offers put forward and that he still has "unfinished business" with Rangers. But according to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Cagliarli24news), the Serie A side's sporting director Nereo Bonato is seriously considering launching a bid for the frontman, who is still under contract with the Light Blues until May 2027.
Cagliarli currently sit just one point above the relegation zone in Italy's top-flight and are desperate to provide some more firepower up top to ease the burden on Atalanta loanee Roberto Piccoli. They are also said to be keen on Fiorentina's Christian Kouame and Dennis Johnsen at Dessers' former club Cremonese.
Clement's backroom team in Govan is reportedly set to be strengthened by Belgian-born Moroccan coach Issame Charai. It is claimed that he will step down from his current as assistant manager at Ligue 2 outfit Strasbourg to join Rangers' coaching ranks alongside Stephan Van der Heyden and Alex Rae.
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