Rangers are set to embark on a new era as the American takeover edges closer but there’s a burning issue that must be solved
Rangers takeover: The public arrival of Andrew Cavenagh and his consortium at Ibrox – Hotline Live
Few Rangers players can look back on 2024/25 with their heads held high.
Nicolas Raskin is one who can. It’s a damning indictment on the current squad that fans could count on one hand who they’d keep for next season.
John Souttar has been fairly reliable over the course of the campaign, albeit his form has dipped in recent weeks.
Mohamed Diomande has caught the eye on the European stage, although his domestic performances often leave a lot to be desired.
Loanee Vaclav Cerny has scored a bundle of goals, but his £5.5million price tag and salary demands could hinder a permanent stay.
Signed for a bargain £1.7m, Hamza Igamane has the potential to make the Ibrox club a fortune if he continues moving in an upward trajectory.
But the biggest prized asset in Govan right now is without a doubt, Raskin.
Aged just 24, a Belgium international, a natural-born leader – the midfielder ticks all the boxes of the ‘famed’ player-trading model.
The only problem is that the fans’ favourite is entering the final two years of his deal, and it remains to be seen whether he’ll extend beyond 2027.
So therein lies the question. Should Rangers look to cash in this summer?
The American takeover may be imminent but Gers can’t afford to let another valuable player run down their contract like Ryan Kent, Alfredo Morelos and John Lundstram all did. It would be criminal.
Voted Rangers Player of the Year by his fellow teammates and fans, the ex-Standard Liege star could be hot property this summer.
Yes, he seems settled in Glasgow but the playmaker has already revealed his ultimate dream is to play in the English Premier League.
Nathan Patterson and Calvin Bassey earned the Ibrox club big bucks by moving down south at the right time and Rangers could now have a major decision to make with Raskin.
The imminent American takeover may well boost the transfer kitty and it’s true Raskin’s departure would leave a gaping hole in the middle of the park.
Yet the truth is, the newly capped Belgian holds all the aces when it comes to determining his next move.
While his head could be turned by a lucrative pay packet elsewhere, the midfield terrier surely has unfinished business in Scotland.
He’s yet to get his hands on a winners’ medal (Rangers won the League Cup in 2023 but Raskin wasn’t in the matchday squad) in almost two-and-a-half years at the club.
With James Tavernier approaching the end of his career, Raskin would be the obvious and most popular candidate to become captain.
Legendary status awaits him if he were to be the man who eventually led Rangers to their first title triumph in front of fans since 2011.
There’s a lot for him to weigh up.
Supporters will have their fingers crossed that their biggest talent commits for at least another couple of years, guaranteeing a future transfer fee upwards of £10m.
If not? Then the Light Blues must learn from their previous mistakes and sell now at the optimum value.
Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport’s newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.
