Rangers exit now official as defender joins English club
Rangers have lost one of their former B-Team regulars as his exit was confirmed on Monday afternoon.
Ahead of what is expected to be a busy summer once the takeover is finalised, there are players whose exits are already getting confirmed.
As it’s already May, a lot of deals are getting finalised before they can officially be rubber-stamped right after the window opens.
Johnly Yfeko seals permanent Ibrox exit
Johnly Yfeko moved to Exeter City on loan at the start of the 2024/25 season and made 13 appearances for them.
However, he suffered injuries and thus could not feature more frequently for the English club.
Despite that, Exeter have decided to trigger the option in his initial loan to secure his services on a permanent basis.
Exeter confirmed on 5 May that he had moved to St James Park permanently and put pen to paper on a two-year contract.
Rangers are unlikely to mind Yfeko’s permanent departure
Gers’ decision to allow Yfeko’s permanent transfer to Exeter City is understandable, as the 21-year-old defender did not appear ready for first-team football at Ibrox, and his development seemed to have plateaued.
Despite featuring regularly for Rangers’ B-team and making one senior appearance in the 2023/24 Scottish League Cup, Yfeko struggled to break into Philippe Clement’s plans, with his loan move to Exeter City yielding 13 appearances.
| Scottish Premiership | Played | GD | Points |
| C. Celtic | 35 | +80 | 85 |
| 2. Rangers | 35 | +33 | 68 |
These setbacks likely hindered his progress, making him less viable for Rangers’ immediate needs.
In contrast, 21-year-old Clinton Nsiala, another young defender, has shown greater promise and is a more polished prospect for Rangers’ future.
Yfeko’s exit allows Rangers to streamline their squad, focus on players like Nsiala, and potentially reinvest the transfer fee into more developed talent, aligning with their post-takeover ambitions.
It remains to be seen how the youth recruitment works under the new owners as there are a few things the current regime are doing well, so it’s important to build on that for future successes.