Who is Jefte? Rangers' latest inbound transfer assessed

The left-back is set to become Philippe Clement's third January recruit, with Fabio Silva and Mohamed Diomande already in the door.

The Ibrox boss has been working hard, along with his recruitment department, to bolster his squad amid their ongoing Premiership title battle with Celtic.

After his side's 3-0 win over Hibs, Clement admitted he expected more business to be done, with both incoming and outgoings, prior to the February 1 transfer deadline.

And it seems that Jefte is one of those who will be unveiled as a Rangers player in the near future.

Here's everything you need to know about Jefte.

Who is Jefte?

Jefte is a 20-year-old defender by trade.

He plays for Fluminense in his native homeland Brazil, however, is currently out on loan at APOEL Nicosia.

The young defender has actually yet to make a senior appearance for Fluminense despite joining their academy set-up in 2017. He signed a four-year professional deal in 2021 at the iconic Maracana, but it seems he will depart without having featured in the first team. 

Real Madrid hero Marcelo joined, making first-team football hard to come by. So, he's plied his trade mainly in Under-20s football in Brazil.

During his loan spell at APOEL, he's made 20 appearances so far this term. He's scored three goals and set up his teammates on four occasions.

What kind of player is Jefte?

As stated above, Jefte is a left-back. That's where APOEL certainly tends to use him.

Clement has been looking to strengthen in this area with Borna Barisic getting on and the future of Ridvan Yilmaz uncertain. When this deal goes through, it could potentially open up a move in the final week of the window for the latter, who has been linked to Hellas Verona and Galatasaray.

Jefte is a defender by trade, but can also operate at left wing, or in the more converted wing-back role.

As his highlight reels suggest, he likes to take players on, typically skipping past them on the outside, using his strong left foot.