Rangers confirm exit of striker, European move, permanent deal, contract length, what the player said

Rangers have confirmed striker Juan Alegria has left the club to return to Finnish football.

The Colombian joined the Ibrox side in 2021 from Finland’s Honka. And he has returned to the Espoo-based club on a permanent deal ahead of the start of the new Veikkausliiga season. He has signed a multi-year contract. In his first spell, prior to his move to Glasgow, he scored three goals in 24 appearances.

“Good feelings about returning to Honka,” he told the club’s website. “As soon as I heard about the opportunity to come here, I was excited. I like Honka's project and plans, so it's great to be here again. Of course, it helps me to have been here before. There are of course many new players in the team but also good acquaintances from last time. I always want to give my best on the field and score as many goals as possible for Honka.”

The club’s manager Hexi Arteva confirmed the team kept track of Alegria’s developments after he left and a return “was discussed for the first time as early as last year”. Arteva added: “He is still a relatively young player and has great development potential in our opinion.

Alegria joined up with the Rangers B team at Ibrox after signing. He had subsequent loan spells at Partick Thistle and Falkirk in the Championship and League One respectively. His impact at Firhill was minimal but there was disappointment at Falkirk when he was recalled in January. He scored six in 19 appearances for the Bairns.