Jose Cifuentes returning to Rangers is a problem that will need to be resolved at the edge of Derek McInnes’ rebuild.
It is more awkward than that, and a familiar echo of recent seasons.
The Ecuador midfielder is back at Ibrox after Toronto FC confirmed the completion of his loan, with the MLS club listing 17 appearances, 16 starts, one goal and four assists during his spell in Canada.
The Scottish Sun also reported that Cifuentes still has a year remaining on the four-year deal he signed under Michael Beale, framing his return as one of the first genuinely uncomfortable squad calls of the McInnes era.
It doesn’t have to be. There’s no room for sentiment, but it won’t be easy to offload the player on a permanent basis.
Cifuentes return is an asset-management test
Cifuentes was not signed as a punt. Rangers paid around £1.2million for him in 2023, according to the Scottish Sun, and the logic at the time was obvious enough: an Ecuador international with MLS pedigree, power through midfield, and the physical profile to make Scottish football look like a natural landing point.
Beale said it was a signing to take his team to the next level…
It did not land that way. His Rangers career drifted into loans, first away from the immediate pressure of Ibrox, then into the kind of cycle that makes a player feel peripheral even before a new manager has seen him properly.
Toronto’s confirmation of his return at least gives Rangers something measurable.
Cifuentes was not hidden on the bench in Canada. He started 16 of his 17 appearances, contributed five direct goal involvements, and was described by Toronto as part of their unbeaten spring run after scoring against Columbus Crew.
However, that has not materialised into the MLS side making a swoop for the man from Ecuador.
No future at Rangers
McInnes has three possible routes. He can reintegrate Cifuentes as a low-cost midfield option for the early European and domestic schedule, as unlikely as that sounds.
He can use the Toronto minutes to create a sale market while there is still contract value left. Or he can make the hardest call of all, deciding quickly that the player does not fit and pushing the club to absorb the financial discomfort before it becomes another drifting final-year contract.
The reality is that potential suitors won’t be rushing to pay a fee for a player entering the final 12 months of a contract.
One final loan deal cannot be ruled out, and if Rangers want to play hardball, they could tell Cifuentes that if he doesn’t find a new club, he will spend his remaining time at Auchenhowie away from the first team squad.
Given that he previously failed to settle in Glasgow, the looming Scottish winter could work in Rangers’ favour.
The best outcome for the club is if Jose Cifuentes and his representatives can find a permanent move elsewhere.
His future clearly lies away from Ibrox and given that his international status has been lost, the next step is a crucial one for the 21-times capped midfielder.
