According to the latest reports from Daily Record, Rangers are closing in on the signing of Sporting Lisbon’s young midfielder Umaro Balde. Reports earlier had emerged that the midfielder impressed in a trial at the Hummel Training Centre and that seems to have done the trick for the 16-year-old.
A brave move from the youngster’s perspective?
Balde is a Portugal u-15 international, and there is no doubt that if he had tried, he could have carried on playing in Portugal for some more years. However, the youngster is now close to moving away from Portugal. Often young players stick with their first club until they are close to 20, but Balde seems brave enough to move at such a young age.
Where can he play and what the future holds for him?
The youngster is predominantly used as a defensive midfielder, but he can play as a central midfielder as well. Balde is likely to spend time with the Rangers’ youth and reserve sides before he can get a look into the senior team. Some reports had earlier mentioned that the Gers are going to offer him a two-year contract. Therefore it seems clear that the Glaswegian giants want to test him first before they get him on a long term deal.
Rangers’ senior side currently have plenty of options in midfield. They completed the permanent signings of Steven Davis and Joe Aribo in this window, and that has further bolstered Steven Gerrard’s option in the middle of the park. He already had the likes of Scott Arfield, Glen Kamara, Ryan Jack and Ross McCrorie at his disposal who impressed last season.
Rangers would hope that they have landed a significant talent in the form of Balde. Sporting Lisbon have produced some talented players over the years and none so more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Bears are known to have some top young talents as they won the Scottish FA Youth Cup and the reserve league last season. 17-year-old Dapo Mebude made his debut last season in the senior team, and that showed that the manager is keeping an eye on the young talents coming in. Mebude had scored in the youth cup final for Rangers.
It is always essential for the club to keep the pool of young players coming in. The academy players often seem to have more connection with the fans, and they understand better what it means to play for a club like Rangers. Balde might feel that getting a move to Rangers is a big win for him, but this is going to be the real start of his footballing journey.
