He’s better than Diomande: Rangers ramp up move to sign £10m English star

When Nicolas Raskin was not named in the Rangers squad at the weekend, supporters all but knew their hopes of winning the Premiership were done and dusted.

The Belgian has had a topsy-turvy season, initially falling out with Russell Martin before becoming an important part of the furniture at Ibrox again.

Starting 31 of 33 league matches this season, it’s safe to say the midfielder is pretty irreplaceable and the Gers found that out when he was absent for the Old Firm due to injury.

Will the 25-year-old still be in Glasgow next season? It’s only felt like a matter of time before he packs his bags. If that does happen, then fortunately, it appears as though the recruitment team have a replacement lined up.

Rangers ramping up move to sign new midfielder

With the Gers missing out on the SPFL title and also set to miss out on Champions League football next term, it really does feel as though Raskin is about to play his final few matches for the Light Blues.

After 145 games, 13 goals and 23 assists, he has been a fine servant. It’s a shame he’ll be leaving Scottish football behind without a trophy to his name.

Yet, all good things must come to an end. In his place, the likes of Thelo Asgaard, Connor Barron and Mohammed Diomande will all be tasked with stepping up, but none of them come close to matching the level of raw talent that a certain Bobby Clark possesses.

Last week, it was reported that Rangers had opened talks to sign the former Liverpool midfielder and now fresh reports suggest they are set to ramp up their pursuit of the Englishman.

After a £10m move to RB Salzburg in Austria, it has not been plain sailing for Clark, who is now seeking an escape route. Well, Rangers are interested and according to Football Insider, are ‘ready to step up their interest’ in the midfielder.

The Austrian Bundesliga club are set to sanction a sale and are prepared to accept a cut-price bid for his services. That should be music to the ears of those at Ibrox.

Why Clark would be the perfect midfielder for Rangers

With Raskin likely to depart, Danny Rohl and Co require an all-action midfielder capable of taking the game to the opposition. Well, in the shape of Clark, not only could they sign a like-minded player to the Belgian but also sign an upgrade on their current midfielders, namely Diomande.

It’s safe to say that the Ivorian has not really cut the mustard this season. He has scored just one Premiership goal and has three assists to his name.

Recent performances have suggested he is clearly not up to the task either. Charged with playing in the no.10 role against Celtic last weekend, the 24-year-old was dragged off having struggled significantly.

During that defeat, one that cemented Rangers as the third-best team in the division, Diomande failed to have a shot, complete a key pass or register a dribble. Overall this season, he has created just three big chances in contrast to Clark’s five.

On loan at Derby County in the Championship this term, he has been far more impressive, registering six goal involvements. Those are not mindblowing numbers, sure, but his figures are much better than Diomande’s.

A look at the stats tells us immediately that Clark is a much better talent than Diomande and could offer plenty to Rohl’s side. Not only would he be an upgrade in the attacking areas of the pitch, but he’s also winning more duels and doing his defensive work better than Diomande.

Clark has been around the houses a bit to achieve regular first-team football but the Derby loanee has shown great perseverance. He’s always been a kid with great talent too. Newcastle writer Lee Ryder once said he reminded him of “a young Paul Gascoigne.”

As a Gers fan, that should be all the reassurance you need.