Jose Cifuentes is 'exciting' Rangers prospect but Ecuadorian warned it is not a 'gimme'

Rangers manager Michael Beale believes Jose Cifuentes has all the attributes to be a massive success at Ibrox, but warned the Ecuadorian that it is not a “gimme” to walk into his starting XI.

Jose Cifuentes was an unusued substitute in Rangers' 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock.

Cifuentes became Rangers’ tenth signing of a busy transfer window when he completed his seven-figure move from MLS outfit LAFC. The 24-year-old was an unused substitute in Saturday’s Premiership opener, a 1-0 defeat by Kilmarnock, and it remains to be seen if he will force his way into the reckoning for the first leg of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier against Servette in Glasgow on Wednesday.

Beale feels Cifuentes possesses the tools to make himself a hit at Rangers. “Jose can play in a two-man midfield, he can play in a three, he can run on,” said Beale. “He is an exciting player. Let him settle. I think he’s a player who’s got a lot of ability but he’s got to prove to here are at Rangers. It’s not a gimme.

“I don’t see anyone else wanting to move out of their way. I think Kieran Dowell has had a really good pre-season, Todd [Cantwell)]we know ended last year really well. There’s Nico [Raskin], Lunny [John Lundstram], Jacko [Ryan Jack] … Ianis [Hago] is now back fully fit. So we wanted competition. We have it and now they’ve got to fight it out.”

Beale and his staff are doing all they can to help Cifuentes settle quickly. “We’ve had some strange conversations already with my broken Spanish," said Beale. “Look, Danilo speaks a bit of it [Spanish] and one or two others. We’re not all like Brits abroad with our phrasebooks. Some of the players speak a second language. It’s important every day he’s here that he’ll have lessons and he’ll grow.

“I think of you play football and you are a good player and know yourself positionally and what’s being asked of you the you can perform. That’s the same in any league. I think what will happen is people will get excited about one or two players as the first wave of the seasons happens then hopefully one or two others step up in different moments, not forgetting that we were already a vey good team before these guys arrived.