Clement must ruthlessly sell Rangers star who earns more than Igamane

Glasgow Rangers manager Philippe Clement will be looking to make another signing or two before the January window slams shut in just over a week.

Rafael Fernandes is the only new arrival at Ibrox this month. With matches coming thick and fast, a couple of fresh faces would be warmly welcomed.

The Belgian may need to move on a current first-team player or two, however, to raise funds for such signings.

This might see several late moves out of Ibrox as the days progress, especially as one player is attracting interest…

Rangers transfer news

According to Turkish outlet Aksam, as relayed by Sport Witness, Besiktas are stepping up their pursuit of Light Blues defender Ridvan Yilmaz.

Of course, the left-back joined the Light Blues from Besiktas back in the summer of 2022, but it looks as though a return to the club is on the cards, with talks between the two clubs having been opened.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has recently taken over the Turkish side, and it remains to be seen whether he wants to make a concrete move for the 23-year-old in the coming days.

Yilmaz’s Ibrox career has been hit and miss. Clement could secure a decent fee for the Turk, and it could be a wise decision, especially as he earns more than one of the standout performers for the Gers this season – Hamza Igamane.

Why Ridvan Yilmaz needs to be sold

During his time with the club, Yilmaz has primarily operated on the left side of the defence. This season, however, he has been forced to operate in a more advanced role to support the attack.

He has registered just one assist all season, playing a total of 20 games due to suffering an injury early on in the season.

His injury issues are just one of the reasons why Clement should cash in on him. Earning £12k-per-week, he isn’t one of the highest earners at Ibrox, but he does take home more a week than Igamane.

The African striker has been excellent since establishing his place in the starting XI. In 26 matches, Igamane has scored 13 goals and grabbed three assists for the Glasgow side.

He tends to play as a centre-forward, but has been deployed on the left wing in several matches this season, showcasing his positional versatility.

It has been in Europe where the 22-year-old has done most of his talking. The pressure of performing on the biggest stage didn’t faze him as the striker has scored against Tottenham Hotspur and Nice in the Europa League group stages.

Indeed, he scores once every 71 minutes, while also creating a big chance and averaging 1.1 key passes per match.

He has all the required attributes to shine in Europe. His physicality has been on show domestically, winning 3.3 ground duels per game in the Premiership.

Igamane will only go from strength to strength, but he will soon be looking for a rise on his £7.2k-per-week deal if the goals keep coming. That’s a certainty.

Yilmaz hasn’t lived up to his £5m fee since joining in 2022 and that is why Clement must ruthlessly sell him amid interest from Besiktas this month.

Related

Rangers have already sold their own Lyall Cameron in “world-class” star

Rangers let a player go in 2017 who could have been their very own Lyall Cameron