Rangers have signed Turkish left back Rıdvan Yılmaz from Istanbul heavyweight Beşiktaş on a five-year contract, the Scottish Premiership club announced on Monday.
Beşiktaş said in a separate statement that Rangers had paid 4 million euros ($4.09 million) for the 21-year-old.
“I’m delighted to be joining a club the size of Rangers and am really looking forward to meeting my new teammates,” said Yılmaz, who has won the Turkish league with Beşiktaş and has Champions League experience.
“This is a club who have shown they can compete against some of the best teams in Europe and I'm excited by the challenges we have ahead of us.”
The signing is subject to international clearance and the work permit process being concluded, Rangers 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,” said manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
“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,” van Bronckhorst was cited as saying in the club statement.
Yılmaz made his Turkey debut last year and has six caps.
A product of the youth system at Beşiktaş, Yılmaz had featured in each of Turkey’s younger international age group squads.
“Gio and I were clear in our desire to invest in a high-potential and high-quality left back,” Rangers’ Sporting Director Ross Wilson said.
“We have now secured that in the signing of Ridvan Yılmaz. 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,” Wilson said.
Rangers, Scottish champions in 2020-21, finished second behind Celtic last season and lost the Europa League final to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Van Bronckhorst’s side begins the 2022-23 league campaign against Livingston on July 30.
