Reports coming out Germany are suggesting Eintracht Frankfurt could hijack Rangers’ move for Besiktas full-back Ridvan Yilmaz – but only if Filip Kostic joins West Ham.
Rangers are closing in on a deal for Turkish international left-back Yilmaz, 21, as the club move quickly to replace Calvin Bassey following his record-breaking move to Ajax.
And whilst the deal is expected to go through and Rangers are the clear front runners to secure a deal – believed to worth in the region of £4m – Frankfurt reportedly continue to linger.
Fellow Europa League finalists and eventual winners of the competition, the Bundesliga side have been extensively linked with Ridvan Yilmaz all summer long.
A move to the German side is even said to have collapsed earlier in the window.
Frankfurt eye Rangers-bound Yilmaz as Filip Kostic replacement
With club captain Filip Kostic a monster for Frankfurt on that left-hand side, it would always be difficult for Ridvan Yilmaz to depose him.
But now there is some suggestion that West Ham could move for the influential Serbian left-back with 28-year-old Kostic potentially a £17m Hammers target [Guardian].
Now, according to Kicker, should any move be made concrete in the coming days then Frankfurt will try and hijack Rangers’ pursuit of Besiktas star Yilmaz.
This is despite the fact Yilmaz is reportedly undergoing his Rangers medical with a view to a move to Ibrox.
Whilst plenty are jumping on the story, we very much doubt that the cogs which reportedly need to turn will before Ridvan Yilmaz signs on the dotted line.
As Yilmaz closes in on a move to Rangers, is it seriously likely that Frankfurt will finalise the sale of Filip Kostic to West Ham and then intercept a deal which is said to be very close in the coming hours?
Until Yilmaz has the Rangers scarf hoisted above his head the deal is certainly not done but for anyone hoping Frankfurt could intercept the move, something tells us its wishful thinking.
Meanwhile, Rangers are reportedly set to announce a deal for one of the club’s key players.