After months of speculation surrounding Ridvan Yilmaz’s future, the Turkish defender appears to be on the verge of leaving Rangers. According to reports from Turkey, Besiktas are ramping up their efforts to bring Yilmaz back, with local media claiming that the club and player have “reached an agreement in principle.”
Despite progress between Yilmaz and Besiktas, the two clubs are still negotiating the details of the transfer. Rangers are said to be holding out for a fee of €3 million, hoping to recover as much of their original investment from when they signed Yilmaz from Besiktas three years ago for just under £3.5 million.
Injuries have hampered Yilmaz’s time in Glasgow, limiting his impact and leading to persistent rumors linking him with a return to Turkey throughout the summer. Besides Besiktas, other European clubs, including Monaco and several teams from the Bundesliga and Serie A, are reportedly keeping a close eye on his situation.
The signs of Yilmaz’s impending departure have been growing. He was left out of Rangers’ Champions League qualifier squad and his shirt number was reassigned to new signing Max Aarons, with Yilmaz now wearing number 33. He also didn’t feature in Rangers’ opening league match against Motherwell and is not expected to play against Dundee.
Manager Russell Martin has started adapting his defense without Yilmaz, initially deploying Aarons at left-back before moving him to the right and bringing in Jefte for the left full-back position during their 3-0 win over Viktoria Plzen. This tactical shift further indicates that Yilmaz no longer figures in the club’s plans.
If the move materializes, Yilmaz will join the growing list of players departing Ibrox this summer, following the recent exit of Ross McCausland to Aris Limassol. Martin appears determined to overhaul his squad as the new season gets underway.
