GIOVANNI VAN BRONCKHORST has backed Ridvan Yilmaz to thrive under the Rangers spotlight after clinching a £5million move from Turkish giants Besiktas.
The left-back put pen-to-paper on a deal until 2027 on Monday afternoon to become the seventh arrival of the summer transfer window at Ibrox.
Yilmaz will provide competition with Borna Barisic this term and fills the void left by Calvin Bassey's departure to Ajax in a record-breaking deal last week.
Van Bronckhorst said: “I am really pleased to have added Ridvan to our squad and I believe he will bring a lot of quality to the club.
"I have been really impressed with his development in a really demanding, winning environment at Besiktas over the last few seasons.
“I am looking forward to welcoming him to training in the coming days and to seeing him in action for the first time."
Rangers will begin their Premiership title bid away to Livingston this weekend before kicking off their Champions League campaign in Belgium next Tuesday against Union Saint-Gilloise.
Yilmaz has already impressed at domestic and European level for Besiktas and now the 21-year-old is determined to make the most of his chance to shine at Ibrox.
Yilmaz said: “I am delighted to be joining a club the size of Rangers and am really looking forward to meeting my new team-mates.
“This is a club who have shown they can compete against some of the best teams in Europe, and I am really excited by the challenges we have ahead of us.
"I have heard so much too about the Rangers supporters and I cannot wait to play in front of them for the first time."
Rangers have moved swiftly to replace Bassey in recent days and the capture of Yilmaz comes on the back of a £4million deal for former Liverpool stopper Ben Davies.
The Turkish internationalist arrives at Ibrox with a burgeoning reputation and sporting director Ross Wilson is pleased to have the move signed and sealed on the eve of the new campaign.
Wilson said: “Gio and I were clear in our desire to invest in a high-potential and high-quality left back. We have now secured that in the signing of Ridvan Yilmaz.
"He’s a talented young player who has been coveted throughout Europe following outstanding performances for Besiktas. We also know how highly regarded he is in the Turkish National Team.
“This is another exciting young player to join our squad, and we are delighted to bring Ridvan to Rangers.”
