Rangers need to complete transfer for athlete Jefte amid concern over Ridvan Yilmaz
Derek Ferguson is concerned about how injury-prone Ridvan Yilmaz has proven to be and believes the club need to complete a deal for Jefte as a result.
The Brazilian was close to arriving at Ibrox during the January transfer window but complications with loan club APOEL meant the deal had to be postponed.
But now with Borna Barisic set to leave and Yilmaz knocked out for the past six matches at a crucial time Ferguson feels bringing in the young “athlete” from Fluminense is going to be important for Philippe Clement this summer.
“We’re needing a full-back at the minute. Obviously Barisic is on the move. Ridvan is injury-prone,” he said, speaking exclusively to Ibrox News.
“When he came into the side, for the games that he played, Yilmaz, he played pretty well. I’m probably one of the pundits that doesn’t go overboard on him. I think he’s a good player, I don’t think he’s a brilliant player.
“It’s just a worry for me that he seems to pick up these injuries and cannae sustain a run of games. If you’re at Rangers Football Club you’ve got to play a number of games.
“Jefte, the boy who was hopefully going to be coming in in January, seems to be a bit of an athlete, pace, he’s strong. I think that’s what we need.”
Will Jefte replace Borna Barisic at Rangers?
It seems clear that Clement views Jefte as part of the future at Ibrox and a verbal agreement reportedly struck during the winter suggested the failure to sign the 20-year-old then only meant his arrival was delayed rather than cancelled.
APOEL, who derailed the January move by demanding they got a matching fee after an agreement was struck with parent club Fluminense, have since claimed the defender wants to sign permanently there so it seems the tribulations around the move may continue into the upcoming window.
On the surface a switch to bring in a new, young option at a problem position to replace Barisic’s departure to Trabzonspor with John Lundstram is the obvious step, but Yilmaz’s unavailability is now placing his own Rangers future in doubt, having been linked with a move himself throughout January.
In other Rangers news, a manager has admitted he is trying to buy a “great” Ibrox attacker this summer.
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