Rangers sign Aluko after agreeing compensation with Aberdeen
Last updated on .From the section Football
Rangers have signed Sone Aluko until the end of the season after reaching a compensation agreement with Aberdeen to which the player made a contribution.
Aluko left the Dons in the summer but his former employers were due a fee.
The Ibrox club have an option to extend Aluko's stay and the winger could make his debut against Kilmarnock on Sunday.
"At some point someone is going to have to compromise and make a sacrifice and I'm the one who did that," Aluko told the Rangers website.
"There was a bit of a stand-off between the clubs for a while over compensation and that could have dragged on with tribunals and all the rest.
"I've almost bent over backwards to be here. Once I got the chance, I was adamant I wanted to be at Rangers and I can't thank the people around me enough for helping me get here."
Aberdeen chief executive Duncan Fraser told his club's website: "The club has been adamant throughout that the principles under which an agreement could be reached involved the recognition of our right to training compensation and that we would only deal with another club directly and not through a third party.
"Rangers accepted these principles and, once they had decided that they would make a contract offer, we were able to agree a mutually acceptable position."
The 22-year-old Nigeria winger had been on trial with the Scottish Premier League leaders and scored in a bounce game against St Mirren.
He spent close to four years at Pittodrie, initially on loan from Birmingham City, and scored 13 goals in 129 appearances for Aberdeen playing mainly on the wing, although he was also used up front.
"It's good to be here," added Aluko.
"Anyone who has played in Scotland for longer than five minutes knows all about Rangers and Celtic and this is the biggest team in the country in my opinion.
"I've not played a lot in the last four months but I knew that if I got an opportunity like this I had to be ready for it so I've kept working hard.
"Now I'm ready to play if the manager needs me. I'll do that any time and although I'm a bit behind the boys, I'll do my best and give my all."
The Ibrox side were keen to enhance their forward options following Steven Naismith's injury, which has ruled him out for the rest of the season.
"He can play on the left and he can play through the middle," said Rangers first team coach Ian Durrant before the Aluko deal was concluded.
"He has also been in the SPL for a few years with Aberdeen so he brings a bit of experience to the team for such a young lad.
"It's well known with Steven being out that we're short up front and Sone can play in a variety of positions."
Meanwhile, Durrant is hopeful Rangers can preserve their squad and maybe even expand it during the January transfer window, with speculation linking striker Nikica Jelavic and others with moves away from Ibrox.
"I see Nikica on a day-to-day basis and I feel that he wants to do well for our club and long may that continue," said Durrant. "We want to hold on to everybody.
"If the player decides he wants to go and try something else, it's up to him.
"But the manager has spoken to Nikica and the likes of Allan McGregor and Steven Davis, and we are delighted they are still playing with Rangers.
"We get CVs every week and you get the occasional agent who will drop a name in. There is a period coming up to January where we are getting offered 25, 30 players a week.
"We are always looking. We can always enhance our squad and if the players are there we have to try to get them."
Durrant also indicated that India international strikers Sunil Chhetri and Jeje Lalpekhlua will begin trials at Rangers after Christmas.
