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Rangers TargetsMario Jardel
Mario Jardel
Rangers have begun negotiations to bring Jardel to Ibrox. He is under contract to Porto for 5 years but has a clause which states he can leave for $8 million at the end of the first year if he chooses to do so. Walter Smith will watch the Brazilian against Manchester Utd on Wednesday.
23-year-old Brazilian striker Jardel is determined not to allow a second chance of playing for Rangers slip through his fingers. Walter Smith has made contact with Jardel's agent again, and will send a representative to watch him in Wednesday's European Cup quarter-final.
Last night Jardel said "I will be playing specially for Walter and for Rangers, and all the supporters who made my wife and I feel so welcome when we were in Scotland. Porto are a great young team, but they do not have world renowned players like Paul Gascoigne and Brian Laudrup. I could learn a lot from playing alongside these players and, together with Laudrup, we could make a partnership second to none when it comes to scoring goals."
"I still hope for a move, and hope to be part of the team that wins ten titles in a row. The dream of playing for Rangers has been kept alive in the past year and a half, and I haven't missed one of their games on television. I hope we can find a way around the problem of a visa, because nothing would make me happier than to play and score goals for Rangers and Walter Smith."
The work permit problems which ruled out Rangers last attempt to sign the player will still be a stumbling block because Jardel has not played in 75% of Brazil's matches in the past two years. The Scottish Football League management committee mmets on Thursday and it is believed that a relaxation of these restrictions on players from outwith the EU is on the agenda.
Rangers have launched a bid to sign Brazilian striker Jardel from Porto for £4.5 million. Walter Smith sees the tall hitman as the perfect strike partner for Sebastian Rozental and wants the two players to lead Rangers assault on Europe. Rangers are hoping work permit regulations will be relaxed next season to allow clubs up to three non-EEC players on their books at the same time.
Jardel has been warned by Porto coach Louis Olivera not to speak publicly about the move until after they have clinched their league title. The player is now a regular in the Brazilian team so it is unlikely that the red tape which prevented him signing at Ibrox last year would still be a problem. Jardel said, "that day at Ibrox is one I will never forget. My biggest regret is that I wasn't part of the incredible achievement of winning nine titles in a row."
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