Ridvan to leave Rangers and club is quite happy with that

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Ridvan to leave Rangers and club is quite happy with that
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 24: Ridvan Yilmaz of Rangers is seen during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Rangers and Heart of Midlothian at Ibrox Stadium on May 24, 2023 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Ridvan is told to leave Rangers? According to most sources the Turkish international has as much asked to leave as much as being told to go, after the former Besiktas defender formally ran out of patience following 16+ months of his football career stalling.

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For whatever reason, Rangers decided, three managers in a row, not to use Ridvan over Borna, with the Croat remaining relatively untouchable and while injury did set the young Turk back a bit, there’s no denying a spot of favouritism has put Borna ahead of him regardless.

And now the 22-year-old, signed for £6M in 2022, is likely, borderline certain, to leave Rangers having made just 25 appearances in those give-or-take 18 months since joining.

There are some caveats here.

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Bear in mind, like James Tavernier and Connor Goldson, left back Borna Barisic is mostly untouchable in Ridvan’s slot, regardless of form, and is first choice however he’s playing.

This has meant Ridvan, despite being a massive investment, has not been given any kind of a run in that position, which hugely questions Ross Wilson’s acquisition of him over a year ago.

There are also the injuries – a big one on his first season laid him out for 6+ months, so that didn’t help.

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But other questions do surface.

Why did Rangers spend that much on a player without the intention of playing him?

The argument would be that he’s not stepped up, and Giovanni van Bronckhorst did suggest a language barrier was a big reason – but we don’t buy that. He’s not the first player to not speak English and come here, and others in the same boat have done just fine without our tongue at their disposal.

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No, for some reason Ridvan was just never favoured, despite the club scouting him, despite the club making him one of the most expensive signings in Rangers’ history, just like Danilo.

And now he’s done. He wants to leave and find first team football elsewhere, and Rangers are quite happy with that it seems.

You do have to question Philippe Clement’s judgement a little if he consents to an extension for Borna and that Ridvan can leave. But as long as we keep winning, a little caution is ok.

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