With Danilo said to be close to securing another loan move away from Ibrox, the protracted deal represents another harsh lesson for Rangers.
The Brazilian striker is set to return to his native land to sign for Botafogo in a season-long loan agreement, with the option of a permanent transfer.
Not another loan, I hear you say?
The problem is his massive pay packet, coupled with his unconvincing form with injuries having taken their toll on the former Feyenoord and Ajax man.
Danilo has been another expensive mistake
Danilo was signed by Michael Beale back in the ill-fated summer of 2023.
Around £5.5 million was handed over to Feyenoord for the then-24-year-old, who landed in Glasgow at the same time as Cyriel Dessers, Sam Lammers, and Jose Cifuentes.
Only the Ecuadorian remains at Ibrox, but in name only and not for too much longer.
Collectively, what a vast waste of transfer fees and large wages. Rangers’ problem hasn’t been a lack of transfer funds, but how they are spent.
Hopefully, the likes of Youssef Chermiti, Ryan Naderi, and others can go on to make a mark for the right reasons, solidify themselves as assets and make the club a healthy profit on their way to a bigger league and future prosperity.
The Portugal U21 striker is making strides toward that goal, but he is in no hurry to leave the club, and that is a positive sign.
Derek McInnes believes he can further improve the big striker, and what a difference in his standing compared to the early stages of last season.
Can Danilo restore his reputation in Brazil?
A homecoming will tick certain boxes from a personal perspective for Danilo, but he needs to find his groove on the pitch before his career veers further off-track.
He has two years remaining on his existing Ibrox contract, and to be frank, the lack of goals over the last two years is why Rangers can’t sell him, as well as the aforementioned massive wage.
Last term, Danilo only scored four goals in 28 appearances in the first half of the campaign before he joined NEC Nijmegen in the Netherlands.
The Eredivisie was a familiar setting for the player, but he only found the net once in 12 appearances overall.
In 2024/25, he recorded seven goals for Rangers, but he hasn’t quite been the same player since his successive knee injuries.
The initial knee problem meant he missed 31 games in his debut season in Scotland, then a similar problem saw him miss out on 11 games a year later.
Both of those came after the broken cheekbone suffered away to St. Johnstone, just as it seemed Danilo was finding his way in a Rangers shirt.
It just wasn’t to be, but with hindsight, he isn’t a player suited to the rigours of the Scottish game, lacking either the physicality, the pace, or the sustained goal threat to truly make his mark at Rangers.
Let’s hope Botafogo and Brazil can be the backdrop that Danilo needs to kick-start his career and secure Rangers a nominal fee in the process.
