The 2016-17 season was a turbulent one for Rangers, and no matter how agonisingly painful it might sound, the Gers appeared sluggish and utterly mediocre throughout the campaign. Sporadic run of form, the sudden departure of Mark Warburton from the managerial post and the apparent lack of substantial success of Pedro Caixinha’s infant regime make the requisite justification for the erection of the perspective amongst the football fraternity that they didn’t really blossom in the season which just transpired.
It goes without saying that their arch rivals, Celtic, have seemingly appeared to be miles ahead of them and to reach the pedestal in which the Celts currently find themselves in, the Light Blues would need to ensure that they pluck shrewd deals during the summer transfer window so that they construct themselves a side capable enough to challenge for the Scottish Premiership title next term.
Caixinha is believed to be doing a lot of chores behind the scenes and is assessing the right men for his arsenal to navigate his side forward in the right direction.
Apparently, one of the latest reports has stated that the Portuguese is all set to lure his national compatriot, Fabio Cardoso, to the Ibrox Stadium in the summer. Cardoso plies his trade for the Primeira Liga side, Vitoria Setubal and has emerged as one of the hottest properties in the Portuguese football setup.
In 23 league games for the Estadio do Bonfim based club this season, the 23-year-old registered 0.8 tackles, 2.7 interceptions, 5.5 clearances and 0.9 blocks per game on an average, apart from jotting two assists. Beefing up the central defence would be a priority for the Teddy Bears as the ageing defence without adequate resilience can barely be of any help and frankly speaking, Cardoso looks capable enough to fit the bill.
Tall, strong and confident, the former Benfica B is a modern-day centre-back and with the likes of Clint Hill and Phillippe Senderos heading for an exit at the end of this month, a young defender with notable calibre would be the call of the hour.
Cardoso would be an exciting addition owing to his daunting figure and exception ability to read the game in a perfect manner and despite not being a fantastic tackler, he nullifies his frailty by clearing the ball at the times of danger, dishing out neat passes and refraining from getting into tight areas. The former Al-Gharafa boss isn’t likely to be handed a humungous amount of money, and thus, it would be necessary for him to strike the right chords by jotting down smart deals, and Cardoso seems to one.
Statistics Credits: WhoScored
