It’s deadline day, and the future of Nicolas Raskin at Glasgow Rangers is still to be resolved, with the Belgian having looked almost certain to leave heading into the window.
Currently with just two years left on his existing deal, it appears the right time to leave, particularly with the midfielder boosting his reputation following a fine World Cup with the Red Devils.
There had been notable interest from the likes of Hull City at one stage, yet that deal never progressed, with the Gers having also rebuffed a loan offer from Bestikas on Wednesday.
Whatever the case, should he leave this afternoon, in January or next summer, there’s reason to suggest that the Gers’ midfield ranks still need reinforcements.
Why Rangers need to sign another midfielder if Raskin leaves
On the face of it, it looks as if the Glasgow side have already wrapped up their business in the midfield unit, with Dan Neil, Cammy Devlin and Vanja Dragojevic all brought in this summer.
Throw into the mix January arrival, Tochi Chukwuani, and there is a quartet of new faces for McInnes to look to, regardless of whether Raskin stays or goes.
And yet, there have been plenty of departures too already amid this summer exodus, with Bailey Rice joining Kilmarnock on loan, Connor Barron signing for Middlesbrough, and Mohamed Diomande heading to Turkey.
With Lyall Cameron also set to depart, it wouldn’t hurt to bolster the midfield ranks even further, while there’s also the issue of directly replacing Raskin in an attacking sense.
Let’s face it, neither Neil nor Devlin are likely to replicate the Belgian’s impact in the final third, with Raskin ending 2025/26 having scored and assisted 13 goals in the Premiership, his best return since signing from Standard Liege back in January 2023.
|
Raskin – 25/26 Premiership Stats |
|
|---|---|
|
Stat (*per game) |
Record |
|
Games (starts) |
33 (31) |
|
Goals |
6 |
|
Big chances missed |
6 |
|
Assists |
7 |
|
Big chances created |
12 |
|
Key passes* |
1.4 |
|
Pass accuracy* |
86% |
|
Succ. dribbles* |
0.8 |
|
Tackles & interceptions* |
3.1 |
|
Ball lost* |
12.2 |
He’s endured a wild ride in Glasgow, it must be said, having fallen out with the likes of Philippe Clement and Russell Martin, yet under Danny Rohl’s watch last term, Raskin really did step up to the mark in 2026.
He’ll leave big shoes to fill whenever he leaves – have Rangers already identified the right man for the job?
Rangers already have Raskin’s dream replacement lined up
There have been too many rumours, too many reports to count this summer, with midfield so often at the centre of it. Who can forget new Hull man, Jens Hjerto-Dahl?
Should Raskin leave on Thursday, or perhaps at a later date in January, it wouldn’t be a surprise for McInnes and co to return to a player they’ve already done their homework on.
Indeed, it was reported by journalist Chris Jack earlier this summer that talks had already been held regarding a move for Lewis Ferguson, the Bologna man touted to make a long-awaited return to Ibrox.
Released as a teenager, there is a feeling that the Scotland star is destined to sign for the Gers at some stage, with even his agent admitting that he “wants to play for Rangers“.
The key sticking point appears to be the price tag, believed to be in excess of £15m, although Ferguson’s own desire to make the move could give the Gers a leg up in future negotiations.
Who better to replace Raskin than a man who is also a real leader in his own right, having regularly captained the Serie A side in recent years, even holding the Coppa Italia trophy aloft in 2025.
A man who’s already worked under McInnes at Aberdeen, Ferguson has since gone on to showcase that he can thrive in one of Europe’s big five leagues, something that Raskin has yet to do in his career.
He could well be considered an upgrade in that sense, having previously been named the Serie A Midfielder of the Year in 2023/24, subsequently hailed by Italian football expert, Alasdair Mackenzie as “one of the biggest sensations of the biggest sensation in Serie A”.
Even at the World Cup, Ferguson was a bright spark in a struggling Scotland side, barely putting a foot wrong for Steve Clarke’s men in all three group games.
The 27-year-old recorded a 93% pass accuracy rate across those three starts, alongside averaging a mammoth 5.3 tackles and interceptions per game, as well as 8.7 total duels per outing.
For context, in Raskin’s three starts, and six total appearances, in the United States, he did register two assists, albeit while averaging just an 84% pass accuracy rate. As for the other two metrics, he averaged just 2.0 and 2.3, respectively.
Looking to their respective records in Scottish football too, Ferguson, even at such a young age, also betters the Rangers man. In 169 games at Pittodrie, he racked up 60 goals and assists. In 149 games for Rangers, Raskin has registered just 36 goal involvements.
That speaks to why Ferguson can be considered an upgrade, and even if it doesn’t happen this week, a homecoming must surely be on the cards before too long.