Rangers had another busy summer in which the latest of many squad rebuilds took place. If anything sums up where the Light Blues are, it is the lack of stability; the last manager to start two consecutive seasons was Steven Gerrard. However, both the chairman and Derek McInnes have hinted at a quiet winter transfer window, which is a blessing for both those in charge of the club and the fans.
Instead, the respective returns of injured trio Lawrence Shankland, Daisuke Yokota, and Cammy Devlin will be seen as a boost to a team that has turned the corner after a tumultuous start to the campaign.
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Another who will join their ranks soon is forgotten loan Ranger Oscar Cortes, whose form has seen him called up to the Colombia squad, as reported by La Patria.
Oscar Cortes Set to Return to Rangers
Cortes signed for CA Huracán on loan in January of this year with one priority – play consistently and rediscover the sort of form that made him one of South America’s hottest stars as a teenager.
Lens brought the 22-year-old to Europe after shining in age-group versions of the Copa America and World Cup, but things haven’t quite gone to plan.
What Nils Koppen Said About Signing Oscar Cortes
A change of manager and formation at the Ligue 1 outfit saw him deemed surplus to requirements before Rangers swooped in and brought him to Ibrox on a loan-to-buy transfer, with then technical director, Nils Koppen, clearly a fan: “Oscar had been on our radar for a long time and was one of the best performers at the South American under-20 Championship.
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“He quickly became an important player for Millonarios in the Copa Libertadores and made the move to Europe. Through good contacts, further analysis and our belief in his talent, we are pleased to seize this moment to sign him.”
A promising start came to an abrupt halt after the winger suffered a serious hamstring injury against Kilmarnock, and he hasn’t been able to force his way into the starting XI consistently since.
For Huracan, Cortes has missed just two games through injury and has started all but two games that he has been available for. The Colombian youth cap also has a goal or an assist every four games.
Read More: Why ‘Dangerous’ Star Is Worth Record £15.5 million Transfer Fee
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When Could Cortes Be Back?
Huracán have no games left in their standard league season and are sitting in 8th position, which means that they have extended their campaign into the championship play-off rounds. They face an uphill battle to progress because their status as the lowest seeds means that they now face the favourites, Instituto AC Córdoba.
Cortes is contracted to the Argentines until the 31st December; however, he could check in to Auchenhowie before the end of November, with his last game potentially being on the 21st or 22nd.
Should Huracán want to make the deal permanent, they will have to pay £1.6m for 50% of Cortes’ economic rights, via BBC Sport. In other words, Rangers retain a 50% sell-on clause should Huracán pull the trigger.
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This fee has gradually increased throughout the loan spell, which suggests that they don’t plan to keep Cortes. If they did, they could have saved themselves nearly half a million pounds.
The Last Word on Oscar Cortes
Cortes’ biggest problem, after his initial impact, was that he couldn’t stay fit, a problem he now seems to have fixed. There were no questions about his ability.
What goes in his favour is his athleticism. He stands just under 6ft tall and has a powerful frame; he is also quick and capable of playing on either flank.
With a contract at Rangers until 2029 and his young age, he shouldn’t be written off; he deserves the chance to prove he can be the wonderkid who lit up the world stage and return as a senior Colombian international.
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