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Besiktas secured the return of left back Ridvan Yilmaz on Thursday, reaching an agreement with Rangers for a transfer worth about €5 million ($5.86 million).
The 23-year-old Turkish international, a product of Besiktas’ youth academy, signed a three-plus-one-year contract after arriving in Istanbul for medical checks and final negotiations.
Yilmaz left Besiktas in 2022 for Scotland in a deal valued at €4 million. He went on to make 77 appearances for Rangers, contributing two goals and six assists.
At Istanbul Airport, Yilmaz expressed his delight at rejoining his boyhood club: “I am very happy to be back home, to my family. It has been three years, and I have followed everything from afar. I am really happy to be here again,” he said.
Besiktas turned to Yilmaz after failing to gain sufficient impact from Emrecan Terzi and David Jurasek in the left back position. With Yilmaz’s arrival, the club is expected to offload one of them, likely on loan.
Ridvan Yilmaz spent a decade in Besiktas’ youth academy before breaking into the senior team in 2019. Despite his young age, he quickly won the fans’ admiration and became a mainstay at left back. During the 2020–21 season, he played a key role in Besiktas’ treble-winning campaign, lifting the Super Lig, Turkish Cup and Super Cup.
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