Why Signing Fabio Cardoso Is A Shrewd Move By Rangers
Pedro Caixina’s summer spending spree continues as Rangers announced their fourth signing of the close season. Fabio Cardoso has joined from Vitoria Setubal for around £1.3million and the 23-year-old centre-back looks like a sound choice for the Glasgow club. The 6ft 1in defender follows Bruno Alves, Ryan Jack and Dalcio to Ibrox in what has been a manic start to the transfer window.
The man from Agueda played 27 games across all competitions last season in Portugal for the team that finished 12th in the Primeira Liga and of the regular starters, nobody managed more interceptions per game than Cardoso who averaged 2.7.
Cardoso also finished second on Setubal’s list of making the most clearances on average, being only a tiny fraction behind Frederico Venancio, at 5.6 per game. His blocks per game at 0.9 were not bettered by anyone at the south-western club and so all-in-all, his defensive capabilities look solid.
He was playing at a higher level than he will be playing in Scotland, and since he has been improving with every month gone by, it seems Rangers have done well to grab him at this price. With two assists to his name and a pass completion rate of almost 78%, it is clear that Cardoso is comfortable on the ball too and he will not be giving it away often.
Cardoso is in the midst of a career progression which is taking him up through the ranks at a fairly fast rate. Having come through Benfica’s under-15, under-17 and under-19 teams, he was eventually given his chance in the B team, playing in Portugal’s Segunda Liga. 55 games followed in that division until he was loaned to Primeira Liga outfit Pacos Ferreira, making 38 league appearances.
Cardoso was allowed to join Vitoria Setubal last summer on a free transfer and since then, he has really come into his own. Having represented Porgual at every level from under-15 to under-20, he has clearly been highly thought of for a number of years. His chance to take the headlines and make a name for himself comes now as the Rangers are keen on overtaking Celtic.
More signings are on the horizon for Rangers and although I’m sure not all of them will be successful, Cardoso represents excellent value for money.