OFFICIALLY ANNOUNCED:Philippe Clement Confirmed the departure of Ridvan Yilmaz …
Galatasaray have stepped in to sign Rangers defender Ridvan Yilmaz ahead of the transfer deadline, according to Fanatik.
The Turkish outlet reported on its website on Monday (5 August) that the European club, who wanted to sign the left-back last term, are set to contact Philippe Clement’s side over a potential summer transfer.
Yilmaz started the Light Blues Premiership season opener against Hearts, but there was a belief earlier in the summer that the Gers could look to cash in on the Turkish defender if the right offer arrived for his services [Chris Jack, 3 June].
Will Ridvan Yilmaz exit Rangers amid Galatasaray transfer speculation?
Clement won’t want to lose any more of his first-team squad now that the season is underway, but the current situation at Ibrox means that most players will be available for the right price, barring Jack Butland.
The Light Blues need to strengthen in a number of areas if they have any hope of closing the gap to Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership table and the only way further additions will be funded is by additional sales.
Yilmaz is one of the few sellable assets in the Belgian’s squad currently. He showed great signs of improvement last year and his age means that he could see the Light Blues pocket a reasonable fee if he were to depart.
In terms of a transfer fee, Rangers would likely earn more for selling the left-back than they did when Connor Goldson departed or if they sold James Tavernier, even if his exit wouldn’t put as big a dent in the wage bill.
Hopefully, Clement will be able to keep the Turkish defender beyond the end of the transfer window, but should Galatasaray match the Gers’ valuation, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see this transfer sanctioned sooner rather than later.
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