Summary Glasgow Rangers are searching for a natural heir to Borna Barisic at left-back. Michael Beale could forget about Ridvan Yilmaz by unleashing one of their finest academy prospects. He's already made his debut for the first team.
Glasgow Rangers head coach Michael Beale was backed by the board throughout the summer transfer window as he was able to snap up nine new additions for his squad.
Who did Rangers sign this summer?
The Scottish giants bolstered a number of positions across the group as they look to bounce back from their failure to secure a single trophy during the 2022/23 campaign.
Beale added to his defensive options with the signings of former England international Jack Butland, centre-back Leon Balogun, and right-back Dujon Sterling on free transfers.
The midfield was also added to with the permanent signings of Kieran Dowell and Jose Cifuentes, whilst Abdallah Sima joined on a season-long loan from Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion.
Three forwards also came through the door at Ibrox as Sam Lammers, Cyriel Dessers, and Danilo joined on permanent deals for undisclosed fees.
However, the English head coach also wanted a left-sided defender to come in but was unable to get a deal over the line and he could now unearth one in 20-year-old Gers prospect Johnly Yfeko.
Who is Johnly Yfeko?
Yfeko is a versatile 6 foot 2 defender who has the ability to play as a left-back or as a centre-back and could be the long-term heir to Ridvan Yilmaz's place in the squad.
The former Southampton and Leicester City youth product joined the Gers last season and made an instant impression on then-first-team boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who named him on the bench for three Scottish Premiership matches in November of last year.
Yfeko went on to play 14 Lowland League games for the B team throughout the 2022/23 campaign and his form for the academy led to Beale offering him a chance with the senior group during pre-season this year.
The English titan featured in four friendlies for the first team and did enough to convince the Light Blues tactician, who hailed him as "big" and a "surprise" option, that he deserved an opportunity to showcase his talent in a competitive setting.
He started at left-back and played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 win over Greenock Morton in the Scottish League Cup last month, which was his senior debut for the club.
Beale has clearly been impressed by the talented youngster and this suggests that he has the potential to be a future star, which is why Yfeko could take over from Yilmaz, who has struggled since his move to Ibrox.
How did Ridvan Yilmaz perform last season?
The Turkey international endured an injury-riddled campaign with the Scottish giants after his permanent switch from Besiktas ahead of the 2022/23 season.
He missed a staggering 29 competitive matches through injury last term due to a hamstring strain and has already been absent for the first nine games of the current one.
Yilmaz only started eight Premiership matches but did showcase his creative ability with two assists in that time. However, he also lost a whopping 60% of his aerial battles and was too easily dominated by opposition attackers in the air, which made him a liability when it came to defending crossing and set-piece situations.
Yfeko, on the other hand, who has captained the B team this season, recently claimed that he "enjoyed" the physical nature of the side's clash with League Two outfit Stenhousemuir and wants to be an aggressive defender. That is certainly something that Yilmaz has struggled to be.
At 6 foot 2, the former Foxes prodigy would offer more of a physical presence at left-back than the 5 foot 9 Turkish full-back which could improve Rangers' defending from high balls into the box and to the back post.
This, along with the former Besiktas ace's lack of consistency in his availability, could tempt Beale to move on from the 22-year-old flop if Yfeko is able to burst through and prove himself to be first-team ready this season.
Turkish giants Fenerbahce were reportedly interested in signing him over the summer, suggesting that the interest could be there for Rangers to be able to recoup some money for him in a future window if they decide to cut their losses and part ways with the young defender.
This would subsequently open the door for Yfeko to come in and take his place in the squad to compete with Borna Barisic for a spot, whilst also having the versatility to be an option at centre-back, in a back four or as a wide defender on the left of a back three.
It is worth noting that replacing Yilmaz would not necessarily mean that the 20-year-old brute would come in as a regular starter in the first team as Barisic currently has the shirt and is a proven performer for the club.
How good is Borna Barasic?
Last season, the Croatia international averaged an exceptional Sofascore rating of 7.42 across 30 Scottish Premiership matches, showcasing his creative quality on a consistent basis for the Glasgow giants.
The 30-year-old maestro produced an eye-catching 2.3 key passes per game and provided his teammates with 12 'big chances' in total, which led to an impressive nine assists for the experienced campaigner, as per Sofascore.
Only James Tavenier (7.63) averaged a higher Sofascore rating than Barisic and no player managed more than nine Premiership assists within the Gers squad, which shows that he was one of Beale's outstanding performers.
This suggests that there is no immediate need for Yfeko to become the first-choice option for the English head coach in that position, which could be an ideal situation for the towering youngster.
Indeed, he could come through and replace the injured Yilmaz as the back-up to Barisic, who has already assisted two goals in three league games this term, with a view to eventually taking the position in the future if he is able to develop into a consistent performer at senior level.
Therefore, Beale could ditch the Turkey international and uncover his heir by offering more chances for Yfeko to showcase his ability for Rangers over the coming weeks and months.
