The narrative at the beginning of the January transfer window was of a few Rangers players reaching the end of the line in their Ibrox careers.
Rangers opened talks about selling Cyriel Dessers before a run of six goals in four matches earned the ever-opinion-splitting centre-forward a fresh start in the blue shirt.
And while both Kieran Dowell and Rabbi Matondo did get the moves they needed – the former joining Birmingham City and the latter returning to Germany with Hannover – the bi-annual speculation surrounding Ridvan Yilmaz, much like it did in the previous couple of windows, again came to nothing.
Ridvan Yilmaz committed his immediate future to Rangers last week, after Turkey international reportedly turned down Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
Not only that, but also the chance to succeed Borna Barisic – the man who’s place he took at Ibrox – at Trabzonspor.
Rangers rejected Besiktas’ £3.3 million loan-to-buy offer, meanwhile. And, taking Yilmaz’s tally of Super Lig suitors to four, reigning Turkish champions Galatasaray eventually gave up on one of coach Okan Buruk’s priority targets while simultaneously landing another.
Galatasaray move on from Rangers left-back Ridvan Yilmaz
The transfer window closed in Turkey on Tuesday, February 11th.
Galatasaray were a team ‘in crisis’ due to their lack of left-backs. So the deadline day arrival of Eren Emali from Trabzonspor – the Black Sea outfit selling two of their left-sided full-backs in the same window – understandably came as a massive relief.
“It was a long process but, in the end, I am in a place where I am happy,” Emali said after completing a transfer worth a reported £3 million. “I know the weight of the jersey and the crest here. I want to fulfil my responsibilities here in the best way possible.”
That, interestingly, is a stance similar to the one Ridvan Yilmaz set out when explaining his decision to stay at Rangers rather than pursue a return to his Turkish roots.
Yilmaz is dreaming of a Scottish Premiership title with Rangers
Yilmaz is not only relishing in the chance to represent one of Europe’s most historic institutions, he is also determined to do like Galatasaray and return a perennial overachiever to the summit while ending an ongoing title-drought.
“I love this country and the people here,” Yilmaz smiled. “When I arrived, I couldn’t speak English and didn’t know anything about Scotland but everyone at the club was so helpful.
“It was tough at the start but now everything is normal. I feel Scottish because of what everyone has taught me!
“I can’t say it has gone as well as I had hoped because, at this club, you always want to be the champions. We haven’t done that yet when I have been here. We always try our best and I can assure everyone that the gaffer and my teammates want to achieve that.”
With Celtic 13 points clear and the title within their grasp, Rangers have little choice but to wait until 2026 and try again.
