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Rangers appear ready to move on from Oscar Cortes for good. The Colombian winger’s recent spark at Huracán in Argentina has done little to change his standing at Ibrox under Danny Rohl. It’s been clear for a while that his time in Glasgow was coming to an end, but his turnaround in South America has at least given the 23-year-old a clear path forward, even if that path doesn’t lead back to Rangers.
Rangers look set to lose Oscar Cortes permanently after Huracán renaissance
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, reporter Pete O’Rourke confirmed that Rangers have essentially moved on. The club have already signed new wide players in his absence, making a return look highly unlikely. O’Rourke noted that Cortes probably doesn’t have a long-term future at the club, especially since they’ve already brought in fresh faces to fill his spot.
While his loan to Sporting Gijón earlier this season didn’t go to plan, his move to Huracán in January 2025 has been much better. Cortés hit the ground running in the Argentine Primera División, helping Huracán find their footing in a tough, physical league.
Huracán have an option to buy him, and O’Rourke reports that Cortes is open to staying, even though he still has an eye on returning to Europe eventually. Rangers have him under contract until 2029, but at this point, that deal looks more like a way to recoup some money than a plan to get him back on the pitch at Ibrox.
“It’s unlikely that he will have a long-term future at Rangers. Rangers have moved on; they’ve brought in wingers since his departure.
“He went to Sporting Gijon in the first half of the season, and it didn’t work out, but he has moved to Argentina with Huracan, and he’s done quite well out there.
“They do have an option to buy him, and it does seem that Cortes would be interested in that move if it is possible.
“He’s under contract at Ibrox until 2029, but is one of those players that probably doesn’t figure in the long-term plans of Danny Rohl.”
Cortes’ Ibrox timeline tells a painful story
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND – JULY 06: Óscar Cortés of Rangers is seen during the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Club Brugge at Ibrox Stadium on July 06, 2025 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Rangers first brought Oscar Cortes in on a loan-to-buy deal from Lens in 2023, and things actually started well. He scored on his debut and showed the kind of aggressive, direct play that made him a hot prospect in Europe. Rangers eventually made the move permanent, but the consistency they were looking for just never showed up in Scotland. He finished the 2023-24 season with modest numbers, three goals and two assists, leaving the coaching staff unsure if he could really cut it in the first team long-term.
Sending him to Sporting Gijon last summer was supposed to be a fresh start, but he only managed ten games in Spain before moving again. Argentina turned out to be the lifeline he needed. At Huracán, he’s playing in a league that values individual flair and one-on-one skill on the wings, an environment that suits him much better than the intense pressing of Scottish football or the rigid tactics of Spain’s second tier.
What Rangers’ decision tell us about Rohl’s vision?
The fact that Rangers are happy to let Cortes go says a lot about Danny Rohl’s plans for the squad. Rohl’s tactics are built on heavy pressing, quick transitions, and tactical discipline, and he clearly doesn’t see Cortes fitting into that system. Rangers have already spent money on new wingers who better match what Rohl wants: players with a high tactical IQ who aren’t afraid to do the defensive dirty work.
Financially, a permanent sale is a no-brainer for Rangers. If Huracan take up their option, Rangers get a wage off the books and bring in a transfer fee; it might not be a massive sum, but every bit helps when you’re working with a tight budget.
Rangers have shown lately that they value a lean, efficient squad, and keeping a player on a long contract who is playing on the other side of the world doesn’t help anyone. Most fans won’t be too upset to see him go, realising that moving Cortes on doesn’t really hurt the team on the pitch, even if the initial move for him didn’t quite pan out.
Should Rangers have stuck with Cortes instead of loaning him out?
Sticking with him would have been a mistake. Rangers needed to see that Cortes could work within a fast, structured system, and his last two loans suggest he just isn’t that type of player. Sending him to Gijon and then Argentina wasn’t about giving up on him; it was about managing an asset for a club that can’t afford to have players sitting on the sidelines.
Danny Rohl needs wingers who press hard and follow a game plan. Cortes has always been more of an instinct player, which works in Argentina but doesn’t work for Rohl’s Rangers. Keeping him wouldn’t have helped the player, the manager, or the club’s bottom line. Rangers made the right call, and his success at Huracán only proves that he’s found his level elsewhere.
