Daisuke Yokota Joins Rangers 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 purpose 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 commitment on both sides: Rangers investing in a player entering his prime, Yokota backing himself on one of British football’s most demanding stages.
He is not coming in cold. Last season in Germany’s second tier, Yokota delivered five goals and four assists for Hannover 96, numbers that only tell part of the story of a winger who likes to run at defenders and force mistakes. Those contributions have been enough to put him straight into the conversation for European duty; he could be registered in time for Rangers’ Europa League third-round qualifier against Jagiellonia Białystok on Thursday.
If he makes that squad, it will be the latest stop on a journey that has rarely followed the easy route.
A long road to Ibrox
Yokota’s career started in Tokyo, but the comfortable option ended there. At 18 he left Japan for Germany, throwing himself into the unforgiving world of European academies with FSV Frankfurt before moving on to FC Carl Zeiss Jena. No guarantees, no fanfare. Just a teenager chasing minutes.
The breakthrough came in an unlikely setting. In 2021 he joined Latvian side Valmiera and became a central figure in a historic campaign. Eight goals and 10 assists drove Valmiera to their first ever championship in 2022, a title that pushed Yokota onto a bigger stage and marked him out as more than a journeyman winger.
From there, the route twisted again. A season in Poland with Górnik Zabrze, then a move to Gent in 2024. It was in Germany, though, that his profile grew. Hannover 96 took him on loan, watched him adapt quickly to the pace and physicality of the 2. Bundesliga, and made the deal permanent after an impressive spell.
Now comes the step into Glasgow, where expectation walks in lockstep with opportunity.
McInnes’ wide gamble
This is Rangers’ ninth signing of the summer, a list that already includes Ivor Pandur, Vanja Dragojevic, Olwethu Makhanya, Ross McCrorie, Dan Neil, Lawrence Shankland, Cammy Devlin and Ben Godfrey. McInnes is not simply stockpiling; he is building a squad with different gears.
Yokota is intended to be one of the accelerators.
“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, outlining exactly where he sees the new signing fitting in.
At 26, Yokota has already sampled several European leagues, and McInnes is banking on that experience translating quickly to the Scottish game.
“At 26, he has gained valuable experience across a number of different leagues in Europe. He is quick, direct and has the ability to make things happen in the final third. We are continuing to strengthen the squad in key areas, and I am looking forward to welcoming Daisuke to Rangers and working with him.”
Quick. Direct. Able to make things happen. Those are not luxury traits at Ibrox; they are requirements.
A winger with intent
Yokota himself spoke with the kind of clarity that tends to play well with Rangers supporters.
“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.
There was no talk of settling in slowly.
“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.”
The message is simple: he has not crossed another border to sit on the fringes.
McInnes, meanwhile, has made no secret of his desire to sharpen his front line. With Lawrence Shankland recruited to finish chances and creative responsibility spread more widely, a winger who can commit full-backs and produce in the final third gives Rangers a different edge, particularly on European nights when space appears and disappears in an instant.
Yokota has lived that rhythm in Germany, in Poland, in Latvia. The question now is whether he can impose it in Glasgow, under floodlights, with a full Ibrox demanding that every dribble, every cross, every sprint counts.
