Rangers make Candeias fifth signing

Rangers have made Daniel Candeias their fifth addition of the close-season after completing a deal to sign the winger from Benfica on a two-year deal.

Candeias joins up with compatriot Pedro Caixinha, who has also brought in Bruno Alves, Fabio Cardoso, Dalcio and Ryan Jack ahead of the 2017-18 campaign.

The pair know each other from Caixinha’s spell in charge of Nacional between 2011 and 2012, when he managed the 29-year-old.

“The coach knows me really well,” Candeias told Rangers TV after his move was confirmed on Sunday.

“It was with him, when we were at Nacional, that I gave my best performances and I believe he will be able to bring that out of me here once again.

“Pedro called me and explained everything about the club and the project. Knowing him and hearing what he told me I would have never been able to say no to this project.”

Daniel Candeias signed for @RangersFC today & said watching the Gers in action at Ibrox pushed him to join the club: https://t.co/yCWAk7sALQ pic.twitter.com/OzvYtaSNsu

— Rangers FC (@RangersFC) June 11, 2017

Benfica signed Candeias from Nacional in 2014 but he never made a competitive appearance for the Portuguese champions, spending loan spells in four different countries with Nurnberg, Granada, Metz and Alanyaspor.

He added: “I was excited from the first moment I got the call especially because of the history of the club. It is a big club in Europe and because of that I wanted to sign for the team.

“Rangers is a club that everyone knows worldwide and I know it is the club with the most titles in Scotland.”

Caixinha, who took charge at Ibrox in April, is looking to rebuild Rangers’ squad after the club finished third in last season’s Scottish Premiership, a massive 39 points behind Celtic.