The availability of European football at Ibrox gives Rangers the advantage over Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United in the chase to sign Santiago Moreno, as reported by Antena 2.
When asked about the future of his quicksilver winger in February, America de Cali chief Tulio Gomez insisted Moreno’s signature wouldn’t require a bank-breaking transfer fee.
“He is worth about €3 million (£2.5 million),” Gomez said.
Three months on, with Rangers, Leeds and Southampton now jostling for Moreno’s signature, don’t be surprised if the forward’s price tag has soared to new, vertigo-inducing heights.
America de Cali won’t want to lose their prized asset on the cheap.
And, with the ‘Premier League premium’ in action, you’d imagine Gomez would be demanding rather more than £2.5 million these days for a player labelled by some as Colombia’s answer to Sadio Mane.
Will Leeds or Rangers sign the ‘new Sadio Mane’?
An ambitious and increasingly affluent Leeds side aren’t short of a bob or two after all.
Rangers, meanwhile, will have seen their coffers boosted by a first Scottish Premiership title in a decade.
And Antena 2 believes, with Rangers preparing for an assault on the Champions League after ten years away, Ibrox is a more likely destination than Elland Road for Moreno as things stand..
The prospect of European football may be a deciding factor in the 21-year-old’s future.
And, while Leeds were nothing short of a revelation during their first season back in the big time, narrowly missing out on a place in the Europa Conference League could cost Leeds the chance to bring Moreno to West Yorkshire.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
