Like most Rangers fans, or maybe even all Rangers fans, I’ve spent the week glued to social media waiting on transfer news or even a glimpse of a rumour.
It’s been slim pickings with the same players mentioned and continued speculation around them. I put that down to a slow market so far and not many teams are doing business yet.
In fact, Timo Werner going to Spurs on loan seems the only real business done so far down south for the top sides.
I do live in a Rangers-orientated bubble somewhat, though, so my interest and intrigue peaked when we were credited with leading the chase for Michy Batshuayi - at least for 24 hours!
That was a big name, eager to impress before the Euros, who knows his way to goal and is well aware of the demands of a big club. He is still scoring regularly and doesn't have a history of injuries or behaviour issues, this one might just have worked.
But of course, it comes with an element of risk and the small matter of a £3.5m salary. Why is he giving that up for Rangers? It was fun to sleep on that rumour and wonder what the next day would bring. Well, the answer was not a lot. Rangers quickly squashed the link as they set off for La Manga for their winter training camp.
Sam Lammers wasn't on board the plane after he departed to sign for FC Utrecht on loan for the rest of the season. A no-returns policy would be welcomed for a player who excelled in pre-season and indeed had many fooled, myself primarily, that he would be the star of the season before quickly falling into a weekly game of ‘hiding in plain sight’.
FC Utrecht have managed to make one of our recent favourite opposition goalkeepers look competent, in our old pal Vasilis Barkas, so maybe they can do the same for Sam. We can’t afford to let him leave or pay him off so a fee with permanent summer transfer is on everyone’s wish list.
One player who was on the flight to Spain, and trained today, was Ridvan Yilmaz. This one does interest me because reports and rumours of an apparent imminent exit had been speculated about for a long time. Indeed I have wondered and considered perhaps Rangers would use his market value to bring in some much-needed funds and therefore potentially provide some cash to reinvest.
I had even talked myself into that happening so it was a surprise to see him in training. But there is also a part of me pleased he is there because there is definitely a player in there somewhere. He has finally begun to show a level of form, albeit only briefly in the last few games, with a good showing against Celtic the highlight of a four-game run, something he hasn’t been able to do since he arrived consistently.
Ridvan is a completely different player to Borna Barisic and importantly he doesn’t have the baggage the Croat carries either. Let’s be honest, the crowd are finished with Barisic and one more advance to the halfway line before turning and playing it back may just tip many over the edge.
He also has the scar tissue of a lot of mistakes in bigger games or cup matches where Rangers have underperformed and he’s had times where he’s been exposed at the back post. Too much has happened for the support to be fully prepared to trust Borna again for another extended period. There is an argument Borna’s time us up which is where Ridvan comes in.
READ MORE: I've seen enough to say 'In Clement we trust', but Rangers MUST add quality - 4Lads
In the last four games, Ridvan has been quietly steady and unassuming. Never exposed or badly at fault, despite being an obvious target due to his height, he has handled himself very well. He looks a very capable player, at times. Against Daizen Maeda at Parkhead, he was very reliable. Maeda is a workhorse and quick, even if limited thereafter. But I don’t remember him getting much joy from Ridvan and he certainly didn’t expose him, it was a quietly effective performance. Then against Kilmarnock, he became almost inverted taking Danny Armstrong inside consistently which completely nullified his threat.
So there is an intriguing thought that if Ridvan can stay fit and prove he is robust enough, remember this is only the second time he has been consistently available even for this length of time, then perhaps there is more to come. Sure he doesn’t have that whipped delivery that Borna has, but his inverted and direct running packed with his ability to be more forward-thinking then may complement Clement's plans perfectly.
The left-back situation will need to be considered in the next imminent future. Is Borna finished? Can Ridvan be the new proposition? Do we need a new first-choice left-back? It’s intriguing how it will all play out and the manager will know more than anyone exactly what he needs.
It’s an interesting situation and one to keep an eye on.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here