Gers future of 'brilliant player' Celtic hero wants to sign unsure after five month lay-off
03/24/2025 09:30 AM
Rangers have some big decisions to make when it comes to their loan players at the end of the season.
The Rangers pursuit of Vaclav Cerny remains a hot topic of debate amongst supporters, the Czech international probably Rangers' stand out player this campaign.
In terms of those currently out of Ibrox, Rabbi Matondo has opened his account for Wales and hinted at a longer stay with Hannover 96.
Aris Thessaloniki want to sign Jose Cifuentes permanently whilst Kieran Dowell and Ben Davies continue to impress English Championship bound Birmingham City.
But there is one player in the Rangers loan number for whom the future remains increasingly uncertain as Johnly Yfeko overruns an initial eight-week injury prognosis.
Johnly Yfeko sidelined for five months at Exeter
Johnly Yfeko joined Rangers from the Leicester City academy back in 2022 and had made some progress at Auchenhowie.
Breaking through into the Rangers first-team under Michael Beale and playing the full 90 minutes against Greenock Morton in a 2-1 League Cup win back in August 2023, the future looked bright at Ibrox.
This is after Beale described Yfeko as the 'big smile' of pre-season, claiming that the player was 'in his thoughts' for a first-team place before describing the defender as a 'player of real promise' (BBC Sport).
After Philippe Clement was appointed, the opportunities dried up, with Yfeko failing to make another appearance for Rangers before Johnly made a loan-to-buy move to Exeter City in the summer.
Yfeko later explained that Clement wasn't involved in the exit talks.
But despite a promising start at St James Park, Yfeko was struck down by a serious hamstring injury before the turn of the year.
Back at the end of October, Gary Caldwell told the likes of BBC Sport that Yfeko was set to spend 'eight to ten weeks' on the sidelines with the problem.
“It’s a big blow, he’s been amazing,” ex-Celtic defender Caldwell explained.
“He probably needed a little break physically anyway, he’s played a lot of football for a young player who has never played at this level before."
But almost five months – or 20 weeks – later Yfeko remains sidelined for Exeter after a brief reappearance in a 2-1 defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on New Year's Day.
Exeter manager wants to sign 'brilliant player'
Whilst BBC Sport are reporting that the Rangers loanee is 'close' to a more permanent return, the injury has had a devastating impact on the Yfeko's loan spell.
Exeter had won six out of eleven League One matches with Yfeko in the team at the start of the season. The 16th place side have won six in 26 since.
The injury might raise some doubts about Exeter securing a long-term deal for Yfeko but Grecians manager Caldwell is a huge fan of 21-year-old Johnly.
"Johnly is a young player with a huge future and if we could tie him down to be a permanent player at this club, then I think it would be a brilliant thing to do," Caldwell said in October.
"Those discussions will happen and hopefully, that will be a thing where we can bring him into the club on a permanent basis because he is a brilliant player and a player with a huge future.
"We have things in place where, if he does do well, then we will be the team that can bring him in on a permanent.
"That is in place within the contract, but those discussions will obviously take place with Marcus (Flitcroft) and the club, but he is definitely a player we want to keep for a long time at this club because of the quality he has now and also the potential he has.
"Once he plays more games and gains more experience, then I think he will be a top, top player. I think he has every attribute needed to be a top centre half, he now needs games to build his experience for that to become a reality."
Whilst Yfeko's future remains unclear for the time being, Rangers already appear to have moved on from the former Leicester defender.
Speaking in January, Philippe Clement claimed Clinton Nsiala is Yfeko's replacement ahead of a Scottish Premiership clash with Dundee.
