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Bedoya granted work permit

Bedoya (Getty Images)

Alejandro Bedoya is a big step closer to teaming with Maurice Edu at Rangers.

Bedoya was granted his work permit on Friday, giving the clearance for him to join the Scottish club. While Rangers and the U.S. international midfielder agreed on a pre-contract deal to bring him from Orebro in January, Rangers manager Ally McCoist wants to speed up the process now that the biggest hurdle has been cleared.

"In an ideal world for all parties we would like to get a deal done sooner rather than later," McCoist told Rangers' official website. "I will speak to (Rangers owner) Craig Whyte and see if we can do a deal with Orebro, and it would be ideal if we could have Bedoya registered for next week's Europa League match in Maribor."

What do you think of this development? Hope to see Bedoya join Rangers immediately?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Örebro newspaper NA reveal this evening that Rangers has put in a new even lower bid of about $230k which Örebro rejected again.

    The guy handling player sales for Örebro comments:
    “We’re positive to releasing Bedoya, but instead of increasing their offer they have decreased it. I’m confused. I’m not sure what Rangers are doing. We have rejected two previous bids and now they make another one that’s even lower. Rangers say to the media that that they want Bedoya and want to have him able to play in Europa League next week, but they are not showing it. They are sending some strange signals, especially to Bedoya himself. We have no reason to give players away. A higher finish in the Allsvenskan table gives us more money in bonuses then what Rangers are offering to pay.”

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  2. “I think he is jumping to soon. He looked good in the Gold Cup and I think if he would remain patient, he would get offers from other European leagues, including Premiere and Bundesliga.”

    That is easy for you to say. It’s not your money or your career on the line. A career that is always one bad tackle away from ending. And you don’t have to play in Scotland to get hurt. Ask Holden and ask Zakuani.

    “jumping too soon”

    Too soon???

    Bedoya is not young (24) by European standards and this may be the best offer he will ever get.

    What makes you so sure there are now or ever will be any offers from any other teams besides Rangers?

    The SPL is garbage, Rangers are a soft, crap club, and Edu has improved minimally since he went to Scotland but on the other hand, do you have any evidence that anyone else is knocking down the doors to get Alejandro?

    Like Holden with Coyle and Donovan with Moyes, the lesson is it really matters that the manager seems to really want you. If Bedoya goes there and can shine for a season or two then he is better placed to move to a better league than he would be by staying in Sweden, waiting and hoping that maybe someone else will be as impressed with him as McCoist appears to be.

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  3. I think luckily we have Brek Shea as a left footed winger cause Bedoya will join Holden and Edu on the out injured multiple times cause I play in a hack a man league.

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  4. Right, if you are playing for Rangers or Celtic you are basically in the discount store window for EPL squads.

    Not to mention being more on European shopdoor than Sweden.

    I was hoping for a jump to France where I think he could do well, or Netherlands, so yeah a bit disappointing but still a good step up for Bedoya, and keeps him in the conversation for 2014.

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  5. Dutch would be ideal, but I’d take Belgium. Heck Bedoya is better than Kljestan and has more upside, and Anderlecht signed Sacha.

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  6. Yes, I also saw an article about his potential transfer to Auxerre. Accordingly to the article, there were three teams interested in Edu’s services, but Auxerre had the most advanced talks. If they hammer out a deal, the might not be a reunion with Bedoya.

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  7. The writer called him “Alex Bedoya”? Is that his nickname or an anglicization of Alejandro? I would be upset if my new club’s website got my name wrong!

    I wish him much success at Rangers.

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  8. Glasgow Rangers and Celtic are no walkovers. On paper; either could possibly be a top 10 team in EPL given the market they share in Edinburgh. Like MANU, Liverpool and other top EPL teams; both clubs sell out each and every week so the cash is there; just lesser prestige than the big boys of the EPL in terms of attracting top players. I see them as prestigious as a Newcastle (with the fan base) but with a higher desire to compete in the Euro leagues. There have been some good names that have run the ranks of the Gers and Celtic. Good move Alejando.

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  9. Way to bring the mood up ya Nancy.

    Rangers has a severe lack of creativity on its roster so this is a moving to add more attacking talent, under an attacking-minded manager (McCoist was a striker in his day).

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  10. I agree 100%. I think he is jumping to soon. He looked good in the Gold Cup and I think if he would remain patient, he would get offers from other European leagues, including Premiere and Bundesliga. This is a sensitive topic, but I read one interview where he was asked whether he was concerned about the Rangers’ most prominent fan base, and he said he was not worried about it.

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  11. The good thing about Rangers is that it is a team closely followed by many in England, so managers in the EPL are at least likely to be “aware” of him.

    If he shows well (and can stay healthy), hopefully it can lead to a transfer to a mid-table EPL side in a couple of years.

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  12. Rangers has a good history with US players so this is a good move for him. Don’t understand all the “he should go to better leagues” nonsense is.

    He has one offer on the table for a league better than Sweeden for more money.

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  13. All the Rangers do anymore is bunker down against the better teams. I watched those Champions League and Europa League games last season, it was pathetic.

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  14. The SPL may have diminished in quality, but playing there will give him a good chance of getting into European competition and of getting noticed by scouts for higher profile leagues.

    Plus, they play Celtic 4 times a year, so there’s 4 quality games right there.

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  15. While some might think the move is not ideal (including me) I think we can all agree that its a step in the right direction. He will get nothing like the old firm games in Sweden, plus he’ll get europa

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  16. Absolutely not ready for the big 4, at all. Don’t you think that if there were options in the Dutch League, he would have gone there? I do, I’m betting there was a distinct lack of interest. I think he should have tried to sign on with a mid table LC squad…best bet to turn heads.

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  17. The boy is getting paid, and will be in a higher profile league, and team. It’s not the EPL or La Liga, but it’s a nice step forward in his development. Let’s hope he can get the transfer done now, as mid-season transfers rarely have an impact immediately

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  18. Oh, I agree the SPL is not a great league anymore. I guess we don’t really know what the other options are. Would he be better suited for a team in the Dutch League, yes of course. But who says any of those teams are interested in him? Personally, I think he is a very marginal player and don’t think he will be on the WC 2014 squad or play that great a role in qualifying.

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  19. Work permit requirements are different depending on the nation and their agreement with their domestic leagues. Some, like France and Spain, restrict the number of foreign (non-EU nationals, in these cases) teams are allowed to roster, while other nations like Italy restrict the number of foreign-based trades of non-EU nationals. The UK has a more open allowance, but a result it has more stringent requirements, namely that the individual must be an established member of his national squad or must show a significant level of potential to be a future contributor to his national squad.

    EU nationals can move freely between member nations.

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  20. Okay but those are not the only two options. The bottom line is SPL is not a great league, and it’s also not a league that Bedoya seems suited for. On top of that, it’s a rough league where he could easily be injured (as Edu often is), which national team fans obviously will not like.

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  21. Can he really do that much better than Scotland? He has had what…one good season in the Swedish league and a handful of better than mediocre performance in the Gold Cup?

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  22. I do not like this move at all. The SPL is hardly competitive, and Bedoya is one rough tackle away from a broken leg. He could do much better than Scotland. The only thing in his future is surgery and rehab.

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  23. Best of luck to him … hopefully, he can get some Europa League time and several matches. Obviously, you can’t beat competitive playing time for a young player’s development. I’m pretty ignorant on the issue, but am pretty surprised that getting a work permit for a soccer player is as difficult as it is … I guess the process is mostly the same as for any other profession.

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