Jefte transfer scouting: Rangers' flying full-back profiled

The 20-year-old left-back, who spent last season on loan at APOEL in Cyprus, becomes the first part of a significant summer rebuild as Philippe Clement seeks to reset and recalibrate his Rangers squad.

“He has already shown he is a player of great quality and potential and I am confident he can play a big part in our squad moving forward,” Clement said on Jefte’s arrival.

So what type of player are Rangers getting? Let’s take a closer look…

Standing at around 6ft and heavily left-footed, Jefte is a player who spends much of his time bombing up and down the flank. At APOEL his role was to provide width, join the last line whenever possible and cross or carry his way to danger. As a full-back, the youngster is attack-minded, powerful in his running and a skilful ball-carrier, thinking forwards more than backwards and possessing eye-catching speed on and off the ball.

A quick scan of Jefte’s data compared to other full-backs in the Cypriot top-flight backs up what your eye tells you after digesting a YouTube compilation or two. He ranks first of all full-backs in the league for dribblers attempted, a significant 4.59 per 90. For context, Ross McCausland attempted the most dribbles of any Rangers player who played over 900 league minutes last season with 2.7 per 90.

The defender also attempted the second-highest number of crosses at 4.38 per 90. No full-back delivered more crosses from deep but, encouragingly, Jefte came in second for progressive runs with 2.9 per 90. Stylistically, APOEL relied on the Brazilian to often cross into the box, carry them forward on the left and find targets in the box. However, Jefte is not a full-back dependent on crosses whatsoever, with ball-carrying likely his best asset.

A look at his progression map provides further context. Jefte is very capable of taking his team up the park from his own half single-handedly. For Clement, a manager who wants to access the final third quickly with attackers remaining high, this is a valuable asset that a player like Ridvan Yilmaz also brings.

Similarly, notice how many of the Brazilian’s dribbles end in shots. As the tape shows Jefte is a player more than capable of winning his offensive duels and functioning as an attacker with the ball.

There are unknowns as to how his game, having moved from a weaker league, will translate to Ibrox immediately. Encouraginly the defender doesn’t carry any semblance of an injury record and, at 20, has key years of development ahead of him.

What immediately stands out watching Jefte is that he carries the ball like a winger. With the size and power to possess a huge running threat over distance with or without the ball. Although heavily one-footed, he's a player who can still work his way out of tight spots and power past markers when receiving the ball deep by the touchline. At times the left-back’s reluctance to use his right foot can make passing angles slightly predictable but the variety in his game ensures stopping his runs are a challenge.

READ MORE: Check all the Rangers transfer news & rumours before the transfer window

Here’s an example of Jefte’s running power from a recent APOEL win over Pafos. When his team regain the ball in midfield the left-back is in a deep position but reads a cue well to bomb forward in two actions and provide a cross at the front post.

This pace and power can be an effective tool to progress the ball or attack a high line. The touchline can often work against full-backs, with fewer angles to escape pressure, but as seen below, Jefte poses a similar threat to Ridvan in that he can receive deep, invite pressure and then carry his way forward individually rather than relying on a teammate to progress the ball. Even if the eventual pass in this example is misplaced, which highlights Jefte’s decision-making that requires work and an occasional lack of passing angles if reluctant to play with his right, the principal point here is how the new arrival creates attacking opportunities on his own.

Watching Jefte’s dribbles, and as highlighted above no full-back in Cyprus is more active in this area, outlines his strongest trait. At times he can lose the ball in the wrong areas but carries a rare blend of skill and power that allows him to become an extra attacker.

This example below sees Jefte twice dropping the shoulder to go inside his man, who likely expects the left-footer to power up the line, using the space infield to steal a march and progress all the way into the final third. Again, his final ball is probably the wrong choice but these are details you’d expect a good coach to refine in a 20-year-old. Notice primarily Jefte’s ability to win his offensive duel by destabilising his marker and reaching top speed in seconds, with ball control more akin to a winger than full-back.

Here’s one final example of Jefte outplaying his man before motoring up the pitch. Notice the left-back stand up his opponent and faint left to create the necessary space needed to dash in on his right. The fact he can still carry on his left despite driving inside demonstrates Jefte’s speed and relatively low centre of gravity for his height. An outlandish chop finds a pass into the striker whose return pass comes up short.

The below clip is a rounded example of Jefte slowing a duel, very resemblant to a winger, before speeding up, gliding past other defenders and then thrashing at the ball somewhat in the final third.

Jefte’s final ball is better from wide areas than central ones. The left-back has a range of crosses in his locker from low balls across the face to whipped deliveries and dinks to the back post. As outlined above the end product from long, mazy runs into the opposition half requires refining but it’s Jefte’s tendency to work his way through pressure and progress his side up the pitch that stands out.

When running on the outside Jefte often possesses the best angle to find a cutback or cross. Although this goal comes when his side have established a commanding lead, look at how he angles and times his run on the last line, far more akin to a forward than a defender. As outlined, Jefte can sometimes thrash at the ball rather than picking his cross the fact he’s accessing these areas with the ability to time his runs is a more important detail.

There’s a difference between a quick player and a quick player who knows how to use his speed, with bending runs, timing and disguise. Jefte fits the latter profile.

This goal features similar themes. Watch Jefte gradually creep forward as the ball shifts from right to left, granting himself just enough space to burst into full speed again angling his run on the last line like a driving winger.

Jefte scores in this scenario and his side have a comfortable lead, but the fact he shoots rather than squares this ball offers insight into his final third activity. Explosive, exciting but with decision-making in need of improvement. The defender can sometimes be guilty of lacking passing angles, reluctant to use his right foot after doing so much good work to reach these positions.

Off the ball, the defender’s tendency to always tackle on his left foot can lead to him being wrong-sided by his marker. Notice in this example how Jefte is caught totally on the wrong side of his man trying to pinch the ball with his left foot rather than his right.

Jefte plays like an attack-minded defender and that can sometimes show up in his duels. Playing in a dominant team the left-back averaged more offensive duels than defensive ones last season, boasting a mid-ranger 56 percent success rate against the ball. His size and stature provide a natural base to compete in Scottish football, but he's a better player with than without the ball at this stage in his career. 

Jefte is a full-back who does much of his good work overlapping and providing width. That’s not to say he can’t be effective inside the pitch, however. We’ve seen Clement alter the role of each full-back away from the high, wide and crossing profile favoured by Michael Beale but James Tavernier and Ridvan rarely moved narrow in their own half. In build-up it's still the role of midfielders to connect play centrally.

During the build-up, when trying to get the ball into the final third, the role of each full-back has still been to stretch play, outplay by the touchline and progress where possible before moving into narrow positions in the final third as a mechanism to guard against counterattacks and protect the centre.

Rangers have lacked players in the mould of Ridvan or Mohamed Diomande capable of occupying multiple zones, carrying their way out of danger and being able to progress the ball individually. Jefte is very much this profile of player. His style of attacking quickly and directly suits the type of football Clement wants to play at Ibrox.

Although heavily left-footed his speed and one-on-one ability allow him to go through pressure rather than playing backwards and around a press. Similarly to Tavernier, Jefte isn’t yet a natural in the middle of the park, quite like Ridvan, or a player who thrives with his back to goal but has more than enough dimensions to his game to remain unpredictable and progress the ball through a variety of factors. That’s why a wide berth suits him, isolated against a sole marker and not receiving with 360 degrees to scan, suits him. You can see how he fits the Clement mould of a full-back; comfortable in stretching play and doing some of his best work by the touchline while possessing the range of attacking qualities that can see him thrive in a possession-dominant team.

There is decision-making to refine and defending to improve but clearly, aged 20, Rangers are investing in potential as well as product.