Rangers are reportedly set to sign Mexican ace Carlos Pena.
Mexico midfielder Carlos Pena
Former Celtic midfielder Marc Crosas has told The Scottish Sun that Pedro Caixinha has always been a big fan of Rangers-bound Carlos Pena.
Caixinha’s rebuilding project has got off to a swift start, with defender Bruno Alves, midfielder Ryan Jack and winger Dalcio all joining the club in the last week.
However, Caixinha still has plenty of work to do in the transfer market, and deals for three more players are being set up, with The Express claiming that Fabio Cardoso, Carlos Pena and Eduardo Herrera are all set for Ibrox moves.
Carlos Pena in action for Mexico
Midfielder Pena is a particularly intriguing addition, having enjoyed some major highs and real lows during his time in Mexico with Pachuca, Club Leon and current club Chivas Guadalajara.
The 27-year-old, nicknamed ‘Gullit’ after the Dutch legend, has been a prolific goalscorer from midfield throughout his career, and has even notched 19 caps for the Mexican national team, representing them at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Rangers manager Pedro Caixinha
Now, after a less-than-ideal spell with Chivas Guadalajara, Pena is heading to Rangers having undergone a medical on Friday, with only a work permit standing in the way of a deal.
Ahead of his expected move, former Celtic ace Marc Crosas – who worked under Caixinha in Mexico with Santos Laguna – has told The Scottish Sun that the Rangers boss has always been a fan of Pena.
Crosas claims Caixinha used to call Pena ‘amazing’ during his planning for games against Club Leon, and the Spaniard admitted it wasn’t easy marking Pena due to his late runs from midfield, predicting that he will do well with Rangers and be a fan favourite at Ibrox.
Marc Crosas (L) in action for Celtic against Kyle Lafferty of Rangers
“Pedro always liked Pena. He spoke about him a lot before the games and said he was an amazing player,” said Crosas. “I was the midfielder who sat deep for Santos so when we played Leon, I was normally up against Pena. That wasn’t an easy job. His movement is excellent and he’s the kind of midfielder who loves to get on the end of crosses.”
“He scores a lot of goals and he can be hard to track because of the timing of his runs. You are always looking over your shoulder to see where he is, because of his ability to find space. Pedro would always warn us about the danger Pena carried when we played against Leon. He knew how important he was for them.”
“When I heard he wanted to bring him to Rangers, I wasn’t surprised. Pedro will know all about his qualities. Pena is a good player — one of the best in Mexico when he is on top form. He can do well for Rangers. The fans will really take to him. He moves about the pitch really well and he’s effective getting forward and scoring goals. But he can also perform the defensive side of the game. He’s a midfielder who can do a bit of everything and I’m sure he will strengthen Rangers,” he added.
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