GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - JULY 18: A general view during the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Newcastle at Ibrox Stadium on July 18, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Serena Taylor/Newcastle United via Getty Images)
According to Turkiye Gazete, Ridvan Yilmaz is in negotiations with Besiktas about joining forces with his former Rangers manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
On June 18, the Turkish website revealed that the Istanbul club would bring their former defender back from Ibrox to replace Arthur Masuaku, who is expected to sign with Nantes this summer pending a new bid.
The funds obtained from the sale of Masuaku will be applied to an agreement to sign Yilmaz, with new Besiktas manager Van Bronckhorst approving a transfer for his former player.
Since arriving at Ibrox two years ago as a Van Bronckhorst signing, Yilmaz has been connected on multiple occasions to a return to the Turkish Super Lig.
The 23-year-old’s agent has stated that he has no plans to return to his own country [Gökmen Özcan, 10 June], yet it still seems possible.
Will Rangers defender Borna Barisic leave Glasgow to join another team? Philippe Clement?
Since his contract has been allowed to expire, Borna Barisic is most likely going to travel to Turkey to join John Lundstram at Trabzonspor.
In order to bolster their left-back lineup, Philippe Clement has already signed Jefte, but they are still open to acquiring Thomas Galdames [Daily Record, May 29]. This implies that Yilmaz’s departure is still a possibility.
Even though the Turkish international had finally made a name for himself at Ibrox, the manager appeared willing to let him go in January if the right offer materialized.
Since then, the Rangers season has collapsed due to his injury, which occurred during the season’s final international break.
Like many other Gers players, he has shown to be unreliable in terms of fitness after missing the majority of his rookie season in Scotland.
As a result, Ryan Jack and Kemar Roofe were both free to leave for no cause, and Kieran Dowell might follow for the same reason.
Therefore, it wouldn’t be shocking if Clement took advantage of Yilmaz’s occasional displays of skill and looked to replace him with a target of his own.
