The notorious Rafael Fernandes, born in the sun-kissed vineyards of Portugal on 28 June 2002, now with 22 loops around the sun to his name, can ironically be found gracing the wet and wind-whipped pitches of Scotland as a defender for the Rangers outfit. Clad in jersey number 28, Fernandes, standing at a respectable 6ft 2in (or 1.89m for those partial to metric), and tipping the scales at 12st 8lb (that's 80kg of solid defender), was previously seen paying his dues at Portugal's U21 national team.
We turn, begrudgingly, to the money aspect of things. According to the dubious wisdom of Transfermarkt, the boy's current market value is roughly £1m. Meanwhile, the ink on his Rangers contract is threatening to dry out, with only about 4 months left before Fernando can serenade another club with his defence-related talents or drown his sorrows in contract renewal negotiations.
Fernandes' history spelled out in transfers reads like your average pre-teen's climate-change-induced globe-trotting summer holiday. He first bounced from Sporting CP over to Arouca, both within the comforting confines of Liga Portugal, in July 2022. His debut season in Arouca saw him making a grand total of two first team appearances in league matches, a statistic that jumped to an earth-shattering 11 the following season 2023-2024.
Never one to stay put, Fernandes packed his bags again in January 2024. This time, he waved adieu to Portugal, swapping out the Liga Portugal paddocks for the French Ligue 1 fields in Lille, with a price tag of an estimated £2.2m hitched to his back.
However, the chilly charm of Scotland beckoned, and by January 2025 Fernandes had transferred yet again, from Lille to Rangers, albeit on a loan. In the current season, Fernandes can boast (or not, as the lazy limit of two first team appearances in league matches suggests) of his time at Rangers. His contribution to their Scottish Cup run in 2024 - 2025 extends to a colossal single start. But hey, who's counting?
