Rangers will be signing the “new James Tavernier” according to one player who has faced Jefte in the Cypriot league this season.
The left-back, who the club first laid the foundation for in January, is expected to finish his physical this week at Ibrox, becoming the first of Philippe Clement’s summer acquisitions.
Former Hibernian youth product Ally Reynolds goes by Ally McCoist. AEZ Zakakiou plays twice this season against Jefte’s APOEL Nicosia team.
In The Scottish Sun, Rangers supporter Reynolds from Scotland said of Jefte: “We played APOEL twice, and he was a stand-out both times.”
“He is the opposite of Tavernier, exactly the same. He’s quite good offensively. He charges ahead and has the ability to touch the byline, whip in crosses early, and dribble past opponents.
“He may be the target of some defensive suspicions, particularly in Scotland where things are more physical than in Cyprus.”
Even though Jefte’s game is perceived as being weak defensively, you would be certain that the 20-year-old can strengthen that aspect of it under Clement and his team. The Belgian will not tolerate any significant defensive weaknesses the following season and will leave little room for mistake in his quest of Celtic.
The player may have a big part to play in the upcoming campaign, as Borna Barisic’s planned departure and John Lundstram’s anticipated arrival to Trabzonspor may cause a change at left-back.
If the Gers are eventually persuaded to accept a respectable deal, Jefte might enter the game and initially take a backseat to Ridvan Yilmaz with the intention of gradually imitating the Turkish international.
In the event that Clement’s starting lineup includes two full-backs with strong attacking inclinations, Tavernier and Jefte, the manager might be tempted to leave a deep-seated anchor in midfield to accompany the center-backs out of possession. But the very skilled full-back duo for a typically formidable Rangers team is probably going to have some success.
