Exeter City: Club must make game-changing Rangers transfer call ASAP - View | OneFootball

Johnly Yfeko has made an impressive start to life at Exeter City and the Grecians should be going all out to make his loan permanent.

Exeter City are in an unusual position at the moment.

The Grecians are riding high in League One, sitting in seventh heading into their enforced international break this weekend with four consecutive clean sheets and goals scored in 11 of their 12 games in all competitions so far this season.

They’re hard to beat and have fully embraced the dark arts of the game, the highlight of which was probably Caleb Watts going down with cramp after playing 17 minutes and being shown a straight red for a ‘strong’ challenge to stop a counter-attack in the 90th minute of the 1-0 win against Leyton Orient.

The undying faith shown from the Exeter board in Gary Caldwell after last season’s shocking run of 100 days without a league win is being repaid, though it is still very early in the season.

There’s a feel-good atmosphere around the club which has been helped, in no small part, by some excellent recruitment over the summer – particularly in the backline, who have racked up six clean sheets in nine League One games.

Caldwell declared Tristan Crama to be his No.1 target when he arrived this summer, and it’s now easy to see why.

The dashing Frenchman has been outstanding in the middle of City’s backline, heading everything and reading the game nicely while showing ability on the ball.

You have to give a hat tip to Jack Fitzwater as well, who stepped in at the weekend for Crama, who pulled up ill overnight on Friday and was many's man of the match.

Pierce Sweeney looks reborn and has been in superb touch, while Johly Yfeko has quickly become a fan favourite for his no-nonsense tackling, flowing locks and marauding runs from left centre back.

Football fans are famously quick to overact to anything and everything, and Grecians were calling for the option to buy Yfeko’s in his season-long loan from Rangers to be triggered at half-time in the opening game of the season, a 1-0 win over Rotherham United.

The outpouring of excitement on social media was met with a dampening response from Rangers fans, essentially saying ‘well, if he’s that good we’ll just offer him a new contact, and he’ll stay’.

Yfeko’s reputation grows with each game and there’s a desperation from Grecians that this option is triggered as soon as possible and also a feat that he, like Zak Jules, may fall through City’s fingers after not deciding to take up the option.

Exeter want to buy Yfeko

But City boss Caldwell has made it clear he’d like to see Yfeko joining permanently and insists that no-other club can swoop in and take him – though the option of a new Rangers contract hasn’t been ruled out yet.

“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,” he told DevonLive.

“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.”

There’s a lot of ‘hopefully’ and ‘maybes’ in that and City fans will be hoping he’s being cautious in public and more confident behind the scenes.

Ykefo is a wonderful young player, but he’s not perfect and he has a nasty habit of giving the ball away in his own box – one that will surely be drummed out as the season progresses and he becomes more tuned in to Caldwell’s style and his team-mates.

Exeter have first option on Yfeko

“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,” Caldwell continued reassuringly.

“That is in place within the contract, but those discussions will obviously take place with Marcus [Flitcroft, Technical Director] 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.

“We are delighted to have him, he is great to work with and always willing to learn and wanting to get better. Hopefully, he can do that this season and maybe beyond.”

Again, another hopefully and a maybe at the end.

One thing Caldwell has installed at Exeter is a 'can do' attitude and maybe going public is a tactic in trying to get the deal done.

Yfeko has big future but isn't finished product

We were wondering how we’d possibly replace Jules when he headed to Rotherham. It’s now, 'Zak, who?'.

Jules’ case should be a stark warning to Yfeko as well; the grass is certainly not always greener. Sometimes it’s best to stay where you’re appreciated rather than take a chance for a few more quid.

Jules is yet to play a single minute of League One action for the Millers this season after being one of City’s key men in 2023/24.

City’s talent for developing youngsters is well known now and Yfeko would do well to spend a year or two more honing his skills in the West Country before taking the next step.

Caldwell’s backroom staff should be doing everything to make sure this happens as soon as possible, and you suspect they are.

The 21-year-old certainly looks a player worth pushing the boat out for. The question is, will City's boat be big enough?