Official Rangers partner shares Ridvan Yilmaz transfer exit update from Servette clash at Ibrox
Rangers claim there is “nothing in” rumours that Ridvan Yilmaz has been told he can leave the club, according to Heart & Hand.
The official club partner reported via Twitter ahead of kick-off against Servette on Wednesday (9 August) that they had asked the club about the Turkish defender and had the rumours dismissed.
Borna Barisic has started the season at left-back once again with Yilmaz, 22, out injured, but Michael Beale confirmed he should be available for the game against Greenock Morton on 19 August in his prematch press conference on Tuesday.
Rangers Review’s Euan Robertson also reported prior to the 2-1 victory at Ibrox that the “speculation that Ridvan Yilmaz has been told that he can leave Rangers is innaccurate”.
Future
The young Turk’s status at the club has fluctuated wildly in the year since he arrived from Besiktas, with links to a return to the Turkish Super Lig arising repeatedly.
Arriving at a cost of up to £5million a year ago [Sky Sports] in the wake of Calvin Bassey’s departure his first season was wrecked by injury and the club have certainly not seen a return on that sizeable investment so far.
His signing, along with the long-term absences of fellow 2022 summer arrivals John Souttar, Tom Lawrence and Rabbi Matondo arguably helped end Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s time as manager and Ross Wilson’s as sporting director last season, as the six-cap international appeared a waste of valuable transfer cash.
But amid a strong end to the previous campaign under Michael Beale, coupled with ever-diminishing returns defensively from Barisic, hopes were high throughout the summer that he would have the left-back spot locked down this year.
A poor outing in the preseason followed by another injury has thrown him back into doubt but it is hard to escape the feeling that nobody on the outside looking in can properly assess him at Rangers yet.
It looks like the club have no intention of letting him leave yet, so while Fashion Sakala is the latest to depart and more could yet follow it seems Ridvan is going nowhere.
In other Rangers news, the club have been warned that they might have made a significant misstep in the transfer market this summer.