Rangers Sign Daisuke Yokota to Boost Attack
Rangers have gone back into Europe for their latest attacking spark, sealing a deal for winger Daisuke Yokota from Hannover 96 as Derek McInnes continues to reshape his squad with intent rather than noise.
The 26-year-old arrives at Ibrox for an initial £2.75m, with add-ons built into the agreement, and has signed a three-year contract that includes an option for a further 12 months. It is a move that underlines both Rangers’ ambition and their changing profile under McInnes: younger, quicker, more direct, and with a clear eye on continental competition.
A winger built for the final third
Yokota is not a speculative punt. Last season in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga, he produced five goals and four assists for Hannover 96, numbers that only tell part of the story of a player who likes to play on the front foot, attack space and commit defenders.
Those qualities have persuaded Rangers to make him their ninth signing of a busy summer, following Ivor Pandur, Vanja Dragojevic, Olwethu Makhanya, Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil, Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin and Ben Godfrey. This is not tinkering around the edges. It is a rebuild with a clear pattern.
McInnes has made no secret of his desire to add pace and unpredictability to his forward line. Yokota fits that brief. The manager described him as “quick, direct and [with] the ability to make things happen in the final third,” and it is that capacity to break open tight games that Rangers hope will carry into the season ahead.
From Tokyo to Ibrox by the long road
Yokota’s route to Glasgow has been anything but straightforward.
He left Tokyo at 18, swapping home comforts for the hard school of German football, first in the academy of FSV Frankfurt, then at FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Those early years, away from the spotlight, built the resilience that now underpins his game.
The breakthrough came in Latvia. In 2021 he joined Valmiera and became a central figure in the club’s first-ever championship title in 2022, contributing eight goals and 10 assists. That season announced him as more than a promising prospect; it marked him out as a match-winner.
A year in Poland with Górnik Zabrze followed, then a move to Gent in 2024. From there, a loan to Hannover 96 gave him a platform in Germany’s second tier, where he impressed enough for the deal to be made permanent last season. Now, after proving he can adapt to different leagues and demands, he steps into the pressure cooker of Ibrox.
“A massive club” and a clear mission
Yokota knows exactly what he is walking into.
“I’m really excited to be joining Rangers. This is a massive club with a fantastic history, passionate supporters and high ambitions, so it’s a proud moment for me,” he said after signing.
His words were not the usual polite introduction. There was a clear focus to them.
“My aim is to help the team achieve success this season, and I hope we can create some special memories together. I’m looking forward to meeting my teammates, the staff and getting started.”
For McInnes, this is another step in a carefully managed overhaul.
“We are really pleased to bring Daisuke to the club. He is a player we have been aware of for some time, and he brings qualities that we believe will really strengthen our attacking options,” the manager said. “At 26, he has gained valuable experience across a number of different leagues in Europe… We are continuing to strengthen the squad in key areas, and I am looking forward to welcoming Daisuke to Rangers and working with him.”
Europe on the horizon
The timing is no coincidence. Rangers are preparing for the first leg of their Europa League third-round qualifier against Jagiellonia Białystok on Thursday, and Yokota could be included in the squad.
European nights at Ibrox demand players who can handle intensity, who do not shrink when the noise rises and the tempo spikes. Yokota has spent his career embracing unfamiliar environments and new challenges. Now comes his sternest yet.
Rangers have made their move. The question now is how quickly their new winger can turn a carefully plotted journey across Europe into decisive moments in front of the Copland Road Stand.
