Rangers transfer news: Philippe Clement issues Ridvan Yilmaz update, admits players could ‘play today and leave tomorrow’
Philippe Clement has admitted that during the transfer window it is possible Rangers players could feature for the club one day and leave the next, amid speculation around Ridvan Yilmaz.
The Turkish full-back started in the Scottish Cup tie at Dumbarton despite suggestions that an exit could be on the cards to either Hellas Verona or Galatasaray this month.
The Ibrox boss claims nobody will play if they aren’t adequately focused on the Light Blues so “clearly” that doesn’t apply to the 22-year-old right now, but accepted that “things can change fast”.
Clement told BBC Sportsound ahead of kick-off when asked about the defender’s future (5.26pm): “I said I only start with players who show that they are ready to do the job, that they are busy with the club.
“But I know things can change fast. It can be that some players play today and leave tomorrow. But if I see something now, in the training or in the games, that they don’t have their head at Rangers they would never be on the pitch, so clearly it’s not the case with Ridvan or with anybody else in the building for the moment.
“I know it’s a period that you need, as a manager, to keep an eye on that, and I keep eight eyes on that with my eyes and the eyes of my assistants also.”
Door open
Rangers have been linked to left-backs throughout the January window to suggest that there is significant interest in making moves at the position this month.
The situation looks to be a moveable feast up until the deadline but will require a suitor to put an adequate amount of money on the table to sign Yilmaz, in order for the Gers to land a suitable replacement.
The youngster is currently going through one of the intermittent runs of solid form in a Light Blues shirt, with a series of starts once again suggesting he could take the starting job from Borna Barisic.
But fitness and form interruptions have always led to the Croatian veteran returning to the line-up in the 18 months since Yilmaz arrived from Besiktas, and the inconsistency appears to have led to the club being open to the junior of the two full-backs leaving.
But with the senior partner’s contract also up in the summer a departure this month can only be sanctioned if an alternative is on the way in.
It sounds like Clement is making clear that currently his best option is to use Yilmaz while accepting that doing so doesn’t necessarily mean a sale is impossible, so it likely will remain an area of focus right up until the end of the month.
In other Rangers news, a January cash update has emerged as the Light Blues look to sign a Premier League player.
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