Glasgow Rangers had a relatively quiet deadline day, especially when all the talk prior was whether the Ibrox side would secure another centre-forward or not.
In the end, it appears Philippe Clement is comfortable heading into a busy few months with Cyriel Dessers and Fabio Silva as his attacking options.
Winger Oscar Cortes did join on deadline day, signing on an initial loan deal with an option to buy, and he looks like a promising talent, who could inject some pace and creativity into this Rangers side.
There were a few players who slipped through the net, however, and Clement may rue not bringing them to the club, most notably Brazilian left-back Jefte.
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Rangers miss out on signing Jefte
Out of the blue last week, Fabrizio Romano delivered an update on the Gers transfer business and claimed that the club had reached an agreement to sign Jefte.
Considering the futures of Borna Barisic and Ridvan Yilmaz were unclear, it looked as though signing the talented youngster was an astute move for the Belgian manager, yet a few days later, Romano provided an update on the situation, saying:
“Jefté-Rangers deal has collapsed as Apoel are not willing to break loan for the second half of the season…
“…but I’m told Rangers have verbal pact in place to reactivate the option to sign Jefté in the summer transfer window.
“Deal could really happen in June.”
It looks as though the Light Blues will have to wait a few months to see him in action in Scotland, but will he be worth it?
Jefte could be a promising signing
The defender is currently on loan at APOEL Nicosia in Cyprus from Brazilian side Fluminense as he looks to get plenty of senior experience under his belt.
He has yet to make an appearance for the Brazilians but has registered six goal contributions across just 25 games for the U20 side, as he has demonstrated his attacking abilities on a regular basis.
His penchant for pushing forward as often as possible has shone through in Europe this term, as he has scored three goals and grabbed four assists in the Cypriot top flight, and these traits are clearly what attracted Clement to pursuing a deal for the player.
Not only does the 20-year-old rank fifth among the squad for key passes per game in the league this term (one), but he also ranks fourth for successful dribbles per game (2.4) and second for interceptions per game (4.2), showing he has impressed across a few metrics.
It is clear he is a talent who will only get better with age, and it shows Clement is thinking of the future, instead of bringing in a player who is perhaps at, or past, his peak.
The 49-year-old is certainly aiming to establish a player-trading model that could see the Gers sign youngsters relatively cheap before moving them on for major profits in the future if they develop as hoped.
While they will have to wait a few months more to potentially see him in action at Ibrox, could the Belgian manager perhaps unearth a talented left-back who has shown promise in the academy between now and the end of the season?
Johnly Yfeko could develop into an even bigger talent than Jefte if he continues his impressive development, and it would not be a surprise to see him secure more minutes between now and May after the proposed signing of the Brazilian fell through.
Johnly Yfeko could be the next big thing to emerge from the academy at Rangers
The defender spent time in England with Leicester City and Southampton, making only 16 appearances in the youth teams for those sides.
He joined the Light Blues in January 2022 and showed enough during that time to earn a deal until 2024, and he swiftly became a key member of the B team during the 2022/23 season, making 14 appearances in the Lowland League.
With injury issues rife among the squad, Yfeko was brought into the matchday squad three times in November 2022, yet he failed to make his senior bow for the Gers.
The 20-year-old kept working hard and was given minutes during the pre-season friendlies against Hamburg and Newcastle United, and it looked as though Michael Beale had big plans for him going forward.
The manager even lauded him, saying: “Big Johnly Yfeko again is becoming the big surprise of pre-season, making everybody smile.”
Beale finally gave him his senior competitive debut against Greenock Morton in the League Cup clash back in August, and he was quick to assess his own performance following the match.
He said: “How did I enjoy my debut? I really enjoyed it, it was a good game.
“We could probably have scored a few more goals but I enjoyed my first game.
“The gaffer told me I still have a lot to learn and I need to keep myself fit, keep working hard on the training pitch and take in the information I have been given.”
The youngster signed a contract extension to keep him at Rangers until 2026, and it gives him plenty of time to continue his development and work on breaking his way into the first-team squad.
He has made the matchday squad only once during Clement’s reign thus far, in the 2-0 win over Motherwell on Christmas Eve, and he will be hoping for more chances between now and May.
Yfeko could follow in the footsteps of Calvin Bassey, who also joined from Leicester City as a youngster, before he eventually made his mark in the starting XI and sealed a wonderful move to Ajax.
With Jefte looking like he will land in Glasgow this summer, Yfeko may need to work even harder to gain chances next season, especially if Ridvan Yilmaz is here to stay.
There will be plenty of competition for a spot on the left side of the defence, yet the Englishman has proven he can feature for the first team, and competing for a place may just spur him on even more.
Rangers have a brilliant talent in Yfeko, who can play at centre-back or left-back, and he could have a massive future at the club if he continues to work hard and fight his way into the squad.
They could then possibly unearth a bigger talent than Jefte and negate any need to swoop in for the Brazilian left-back at the end of the season, as they could already have an excellent option in the building to compete for a first-team spot.