£15m Signing Set to Miss Remainder of the Season as Rangers Move Falls Through
A Key Advantage of the January Transfer Window: Giving Young Talents like Rafael Fernandes a Chance for First-Team Football Away from Their Parent Clubs
Lille’s president recently discussed Rafael Fernandes’ move to Rangers, which occurred this week.
The 6ft 3ins defender, who was signed by Lille for £2.5 million from Arouca last January, never played a single Ligue 1 match in his year with the club.
Stade Pierre Mauroy boss Olivier Letang admitted that Fernandes was a player who simply ‘needed playing time’, something Lille could not offer him.
Although a starting spot in Philippe Clement’s Rangers lineup is not assured, with John Souttar recently marking his return to Premiership action with a goal in Rangers’ 4-0 win over Ross County, Fernandes’ move does give him a chance to prove himself, potentially earning a place on the Ibrox bench, which would be a step up from Lille’s reserves.
Had Rangers not secured a short-term deal for Fernandes – one that could be made permanent in the summer – further time on the sidelines would have been detrimental to the young player’s development.
Meanwhile, it seems that Chelsea’s Aaron Anselmino is in a similar situation, facing a period of limbo after Rangers also expressed interest in him during the winter transfer window.
Anselmino, who joined Chelsea for £15 million from Boca Juniors last summer, spent the second half of 2024 on loan back at Boca.
However, he was noticeably absent when Chelsea’s official Premier League squad list was updated after the transfer window.
If the 19-year-old had hoped to break into manager Enzo Maresca’s plans for the remainder of the season, his chances seem slim following the return of Trevoh Chalobah from a loan spell at Crystal Palace.
Given that Chelsea does not appear ready to loan Anselmino to another club this season – despite the Turkish Super Lig’s window still being open – it’s looking likely that the defender will have to wait until the 2025/26 season for his next competitive appearance.
Chelsea reportedly feel that Anselmino is not yet ready for Premier League action, according to the Scottish Sun.
Rangers could, however, revisit their interest in the young defender in the summer.
On deadline day, Marseille came closest to signing Anselmino, with club president Pablo Longoria expressing frustration when the deal fell through in the final moments of the window.
Longoria is known for not being a fan of Chelsea’s approach to transfers, which may discourage Marseille from pursuing Anselmino again.
However, Rangers may keep the defender on their radar for a future move.
Rangers are also reportedly eyeing Nicolo Bertola, a central defender for Spezia, who is set to become a free agent in July.
With Fernandes only on loan and yet to prove himself in the high-pressure environment of Glasgow, Philippe Clement, Nils Koppen, and the club’s staff may already be considering potential centre-back targets for the future.
If Chelsea continues to leave Anselmino out of their plans, Rangers could look to finalize a deal for him in the summer, rather than rushing to make a move in the current window.
