Serie A defender makes rare appearance as Rangers brace for fresh homecoming bid

The 21-year-old Serie A defender came off the bench in the second half of Verona’s 2-0 win over Cagliari, the left-back’s first appearance in five Italian top flight matches.

Versatile Italian youth international Filippo Terracciano, 20, has been the preferred option at the Serie A club as of late and the situation comes at an interesting time for Rangers.

The Ibrox side know that stalwart left-back Borna Barisic is out of contract at the end of the season whilst the situation with Ridvan Yilmaz is of continuing speculation.

Did the Rangers blow Josh Doig’s opportunity?
Many Rangers supporters believe that after signing Ridvan Yilmaz to play for Turkish Super Lig team Besiktas, the team ought to have made a bid for Josh Doig.

Doig would have been an intriguing homegrown squad option and Barisic’s understudy at Hibs, the Scottish Premiership opponents, if he had been available for the £3 million the Serie A side ultimately paid for his services.

Rangers secured a deal for the highly-regarded Turkish international Ridvan Yilmaz that summer, paying an initial £3.4 million that would increase to £5 million for the left-back.

Since the switch Rangers haven’t got a suitable return on the 22-year-old, an initial adjustment to life in Scotland and then injuries devastating his first season at the club.

Many saw it as evidence of the irony of the club’s inaction in pursuing indigenous left-back Doig, as he was left out of the Rangers European team due to pressure to achieve the UEFA homegrown quota.

Ridvan Yilmaz is connected to a move away from Ibrox
Ridvan Yilmaz, who is currently playing for Rangers under Philippe Clement, his third manager, has struggled to consistently move Borna Barisic, and as a result, there is a lot of discussion around his future.

According to reports from last week in Turkey, Yilmaz’s agents were contacted by Istanbul club Galatasaray over a potential January transfer.

Rangers supporters are constantly intrigued by Cedric Itten’s situation since it is not the first time a highly-rated player has battled with the expectations of Ibrox before returning to his native country.

With Ridvan Yilmaz failing to find consistency in Glasgow there is very much a feeling the expensive signing is one of several who could be moved on in January.

As Josh Doig makes a tentative return to the Verona first-team, perhaps Rangers could offer the inconsistent left-back a similar homecoming reprieve in Scotland.

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