Rangers must replace Jefte with Ibrox swoop for “offensive” £13m star

Glasgow Rangers head coach Russell Martin will not be pleased with the way his team have started the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership season.

The Light Blues failed to win both of their opening matches in the division, drawing 1-1 with Motherwell on the opening day before drawing 1-1 with Dundee at Ibrox.

There is still plenty of time left in the summer transfer window for the Scottish giants to do more work to ensure that their team is ready to compete for trophies this season, though.

Whilst there will be a focus on incoming additions to excite the supporters and improve the current starting line-up, a new report suggests that Martin could be losing a player from his playing squad.

According to Brazilian journalists Andre Hernan and Bruno Andrade, Palmeiras are in the process of finalising a deal to sign Jefte from the Light Blues this summer, in what will be a permanent move for the defender.

After just one year at Ibrox after moving from Fluminense, the 21-year-old talent appears to be on his way out of Glasgow to return to his home country.

Why selling Jefte will be a blow for Rangers

Losing the left-footed ace will be a blow to Rangers in the short-term because he is the only senior left-footed left-back who has been utilised by Martin so far this season.

Ridvan Yilmaz has not made a single matchday squad in the 2025/26 campaign, and it was recently reported that he has reached an agreement with Besiktas over a return to Turkey. This means that Jefte’s proposed move to Palmeiras would leave Martin without a left-footed left-back in his side, which would result in Max Aarons going back to that position, a role in which he looked incredibly uncomfortable against Panathinaikos and Motherwell.

Whilst Jefte is not the finished article or the perfect left-back for Rangers, the 21-year-old gem does offer balance to the team as a naturally left-footed player in that position, which cannot be said for the right-footed Aarons.

As you can see in the table above, the Brazilian defender did not have a completely awful first season at Ibrox in the Premiership, starting 30 of their 38 games and winning the majority of his physical duels on the deck and in the air.

However, Jefte had issues that are not easy to track on a stats sheet. Too often, the full-back would not be aware of the player over his shoulder and would get caught sleeping at the back post for goals.

The Palmeiras target also did not have his best game against Dundee in the Premiership last weekend. He only completed one of his five attempted crosses and was tackled in four of his five attempted dribbles, per Sofascore, which shows that the left-back struggled both technically and with his decision-making.

Putting all of this together, it is a blow for the Light Blues to lose their first-choice left-back in the short-term, but it also provides them with an opportunity to improve their team by swooping for a new option in that area of the pitch.

Rangers and Celtic were both recently linked with an interest in Monaco full-back Kassoum Ouattara, who is currently valued at a fee of around £13m by the French side.

It was claimed that a permanent deal, which would be a club record for both clubs, is unlikely and that the Glasgow giants may look down the loan route for the 20-year-old dynamo, if possible.

Why Rangers should sign Kassoum Ouattara

The Gers should push to beat Celtic to Ouattara’s signature before the end of the summer transfer window with a move for him this month, because he could be a fantastic addition to the squad as a replacement for Jefte.

Should the Brazilian’s move to Palmeiras go through as reported, Rangers will need to find a left-footed left-back who can provide enough quality on the pitch to improve Martin’s team, and the Monaco youngster appears to fit the bill.

The young defender only started five of his 12 appearances in the French top-flight during the 2024/25 campaign, per Sofascore, but showcased his quality in those limited outings for Monaco.

Ouattara also played in Ligue 2 with Amiens in the 2023/24 campaign and caught the eye with 3.3 tackles and interceptions and 6.1 ball recoveries per game, which shows that he can offer a strong defensive presence at left-back when needed.

However, his performances in Ligue 1 for Monaco in the most recent season showed what he is best at: attacking. The £13m-rated full-back was an effective attacking force down the left flank with his ability to create chances for his teammates on a regular basis in the final third.

As you can see in the table above, Ouattara’s attacking output was even more impressive than Jefte’s was in the Premiership in a Rangers side that ultimately finished second in the division.

These statistics show that the French starlet has outstanding potential as an attack-minded left-back, as he created almost three times as much xA per 90 in comparison to the Brazilian.

Analyst and writer Kai Watson described Ouattara as a “very offensive” full-back and these statistics certainly back up that claim, as he is an exceptional passer and crosser on the evidence of his form in one of Europe’s major leagues last term.

The task for him, though, is to prove that he can do it over the course of an entire season. A move to Ibrox would provide him with a platform to do exactly that, with a vacant spot at left-back if Jefte moves on, and in a team that will be competing for the title this term.

Therefore, the Light Blues should be making a move to sign Ouattara from Monaco this summer because he could come in as a dream replacement for Jefte as an attack-minded full-back for Martin.