Reported Rangers newbie Umaro Balde was once jokingly valued at £22m

Add as preferred source on Google

Rangers are reportedly closing in on the signature of Umaro Balde. The youngster is, according to The Herald, expected to sign a two-year deal with the Glasgow club.

The hope will be that the Portuguese youth international can develop into a future Ibrox star. The 16-year-old midfielder will no doubt be hoping to push for a first-team spot at Rangers in the next couple of years.

Rangers fans should certainly be excited. At one point, he was even valued at €25 million by Sporting Lisbon when he was just 14-years-old. Well, not exactly.

The story goes, as reported by Desporto, that when West Ham United bid €25 million (£22 million) for Portugal international William Carvalho in 2017 it did not go down well with Sporting Lisbon’s eccentric former president Bruno De Carvalho.

“For 25 million euros we will not even send Umaro Baldé, let alone William.”

He reportedly stated that €25 million (£22 million) was not enough for West Ham to get their hands on a then 14-year-old Balde, let alone prized asset William.

The youngster himself even addressed the story on his Facebook page, suggesting he would not leave Sporting for any price.  

The Sporting president was ousted by his own associates last year and was known to place massive values on his players. Ryan Gauld, for example. The former Dundee United playmaker has a release clause in Lisbon reported by The Telegraph to be worth £48 million.

While the comments were clearly in jest, it is at least interesting that it was Balde who De Carvalho decided to bring up. That means that even at 14 he was on the radar of his club’s controversial president.

Rangers fans will just hope he does eventually live up to this once joked about valuation.