Andy Halliday defends new Rangers signing while highlighting £42m Manchester United transfer.

Unlike players such as Connor Barron, Robin Propper, and Nedim Bajrami—who are regular starters for Aberdeen, FC Twente, and Sassuolo, respectively—Rafael Fernandes joins Rangers after an extended period without first-team action.

In fact, Tuesday marked exactly one year since his last competitive league appearance, a 5-0 victory for Arouca over Vizela in Portugal’s top flight back in January 2024.

Since then, the towering 6ft 3in centre-back has had an eventful yet stagnant journey. After securing a £2.5 million move to LOSC Lille in France, he failed to register a single Ligue 1 appearance before making his way to Glasgow.

Naturally, this has led some skeptical Rangers supporters to question why Fernandes was unable to break into Lille’s first team.

However, former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday sees the situation differently.

He highlights that, during Fernandes’ time at Lille, Leny Yoro was an undisputed starter, playing every week and establishing himself as arguably Europe’s top young defensive talent.

Yoro’s rise culminated in a high-profile transfer battle the following summer, with Manchester United ultimately outbidding Real Madrid to secure his signature for an initial £42 million.

Even after Yoro’s departure, Fernandes remained on the fringes, but Halliday attributes this to the impressive form of Bafode Diakite, who solidified his place in Lille’s right-sided centre-back role.

While Halliday expresses disappointment at Rangers’ lack of winter signings—Fernandes being the sole addition—he has no reservations about the quality of the player they have brought in.

“Rangers have made one signing. I cannot believe it,” Halliday said.

“But when you look at Fernandes, the players keeping him out of the Lille team were Leny Yoro—who Man United signed for €50 million—and Diakite. These are top-quality players, to be fair.”

Rangers’ technical director, Nils Koppen, describes Fernandes as another “young, exciting” prospect, following in the footsteps of recent acquisitions Hamza Igamane, Jefte, and Connor Barron.

Meanwhile, a former Sporting Lisbon coach has praised Fernandes’ commitment to self-improvement, as well as his impressive technical ability when playing out from the back.

Manager Philippe Clement appears to be taking a cautious approach with the new signing, planning to gradually integrate him into the squad rather than rushing him into action—similar to how he handled Hamza Igamane’s transition to Scottish football.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Fernandes will fully adapt to the demands of Scottish football.

Halliday and former Rangers player Ian McCall both acknowledge that adjusting to the league can be challenging.

While Robin Propper has delivered some strong performances in the Europa League, his domestic displays have been inconsistent, raising concerns about his overall suitability.

“I think it takes time for players to acclimatize to Scottish football, I really do,” McCall said. “But Fernandes doesn’t look particularly quick or powerful.

That said, he must have something about him—you don’t play at the levels he has without having ability.”

Halliday echoed similar sentiments, referencing Propper’s performance against Manchester United, where he held his own before Bruno Fernandes’ stoppage-time winner broke Rangers’ hearts at Old Trafford.

“I actually thought he was really good against Man United,” Halliday added. “But does he suit domestic football? I don’t know.”

Reports suggest that before moving to Rangers, Fernandes attracted interest from clubs in Spain, Germany, and France.

However, it is in Scotland where he now has the opportunity to prove himself and revive his career.