Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers bolstered their bid to retain the Scottish Premiership with the loan signing of Aaron Ramsey on Monday from Juventus on loan until the end of the season.

The Welsh international was out-of-favour in Turin having played just 112 minutes this season.

Juventus were keen to get some of the 31-year-old’s wages off the books and Rangers will reportedly pay around £2 million ($2.7 million) to take him to Glasgow.

Ramsey could be handed a baptism of fire away to Celtic in the Old Firm derby on Wednesday.

“I am really pleased to be joining a club like Rangers, where there is so much to look forward to between now and May,” said Ramsey.

“I had a number of offers on the table, but none matched the magnitude of this club, with European football and the chance to play in front of 50,000 fans every other week.

“I have had some fantastic conversations with the manager and (sporting director) Ross Wilson, and I’m really looking forward to working with both of them, and to meeting the supporters.”

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s men hold a two-point lead over their local rivals at the top of the table.

Ramsey joined Juventus on a free transfer from Arsenal in 2019.

He won one Serie A title, but struggled for form and fitness at club level despite continuing to shine for Wales on the international stage.

Rangers earlier announced the signing of 20-year-old Polish right-back Mateusz Zukowski from Lechia Gdansk to replace Nathan Patterson who joined Everton earlier this month.