Rangers have moved closer to snapping up midfielder Carlos Pena from Mexican side Guadalajara. He has been granted a work permit to ply his trade in Scotland and an announcement could be made anytime.
The 27-year-old is expected to complete his move very soon as Pedro Caixinha will churn out a record £2.2m for the midfielder. The gaffer has already secured the signing of a host of players and would be looking forward to adding a few more players to complete the overhaul of the side.
Rangers have not been able to outpace Celtic last season as the Bhoys collected all the trophies available in Scotland securing a domestic treble. Caixinha was appointed after the departure of Mark Warburton and had very little time to get accustomed with the pros and cons of the Scottish Premiership. Whatever time he got in this little span he utilised fully and guided the Gers to a decent third-place finish to qualify for the Europa League.
But the Portuguese know it would be an acid test for him in the upcoming season as all the other clubs will be in full throttle and Rangers have to do something extraordinary to be the standout team. It would be very difficult to replicate what the Hoops have done but Caixinha is leaving no stones unturned towards forming a side who would be able to give tough competition to the defending champions.
Caixinha has been searching that player who would bring more physicality to the middle of the pitch. At 5’10, Pena would bring more power and dynamism to the Ibrox. He reminds us of Gennaro Gattuso who was of similar height but had a commanding presence in the midfield.
Pena has been very precise with his passing and has the knack of banging in crucial goals. He has the physique and stamina to acclimatise with the competitive nature of Scottish football.
Only a handful of Mexican players have been able to earn the recognition with the likes of Javier Hernandez, Carlos Vela and Rafael Marquez and Pena could earn that tag for himself. A tireless midfielder, Caixinha can get the best out of him if the latter utilises him in an intelligent manner.
Pena has played the major portions of his career in Mexico and this would be a new experiment for him. Pena is set to put pen to paper very quickly as Caixinha continues his rebuilding job for the Scottish giants.
