Dalcio has never really made an impact anywhere he’s been – and the Benfica winger looks to continue that trend at Rangers.
The Scottish Sun confirmed at the end of the summer transfer window that Dalcio would be staying at Rangers for the duration of the 2017/18 season. Yet, the fact that speculation was growing that the winger was to cut short his loan spell from Benfica after just a few weeks spoke volumes about his impact, or lack of, at Ibrox.
Despite being fully fit, the 21-year-old has not featured in Pedro Caixinha’s side since that humiliating Europa League qualifying defeat to Progres Niederkorn, the fourth best team in Luxembourg, back in early July.
The sight of Dalcio tripping over the ball without an opposition player in sight rather summed up The Gers’ nightmare start to the season.
The Portuguese youth international is yet to make his Scottish Premiership bow and that does not appear likely to change any time soon with Dalcio already taking up the mantle of ‘forgotten man’.
Though perhaps Rangers should have seen his struggles coming. After all, Dalcio did not exactly set the world alight during his time with Benfica’s B team, scoring just twice in 50 appearances.
And a loan return to Belenenses in 2015, where he started his career, did not go much better with the youngster playing just three games during a year-long spell at the club.
Therefore, perhaps the alarm bells should have been ringing for Rangers. It has taken just two games for Caixinha to realise that the Pragal-born attacker will simply not make the grade at Ibrox.
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