There’s no two ways about it, Glasgow Rangers are a better side with Nicolas Raskin in it.
Having looked almost certain to leave over the summer, the Belgian has shaken off that disappointment to emerge as a key figure again under new boss Derek McInnes.
He’s had turbulent times at Ibrox, but since the arrival of Danny Rohl, that has been put to bed somewhat, with Raskin really raising his game over the last 12 months or so.
There will again be talk of an exit heading into January, you’d expect, although the Gers should be doing everything they can to keep him.
Why Rangers must keep hold of Nicolas Raskin in January
By his own admission, Raskin had “mentally prepared” himself to leave over the summer, fresh from having enjoyed a standout World Cup with Belgium.
The Old Firm side notably knocked back a loan offer from Bestikas late in the day, with speculation having been rife throughout the window as a whole.
Alas, the 25-year-old ultimately stayed put, and Rangers look all the better for it, the former Standard Liege man forming a fine midfield partnership with Dan Neil.
Raskin has notably started the last five Premiership games, all of which ended in victory, as well as the League Cup clash with Celtic, a game which saw the visitors overrun by himself and Neil.
Last term, Raskin had come to the fore in an attacking sense, scoring and assisting 13 goals, while creating 12 ‘big chances’, yet he is offering a far more stable base in midfield, dribbled past just 0.3 times per game, in contrast to his 0.9 average in 2025/26.
|
Raskin – 25/26 vs 26/27 |
||
|---|---|---|
|
25/26 |
Stat (*per game) |
26/27 |
|
33 |
Games |
6 |
|
6 |
Goals |
0 |
|
7 |
Assists |
0 |
|
12 |
Big chances created |
0 |
|
1.4 |
Key passes* |
0.9 |
|
86% |
Pass accuracy* |
87% |
|
0.8 |
Succ. dribbles* |
0.0 |
|
0.9 |
Dribbled past* |
0.3 |
|
3.1 |
Tackles & Interceptions* |
2.2 |
|
4.5 |
Ball recoveries* |
5.5 |
He’s firmly dislodged the likes of Tochi Chukwuani, Vanja Dragojevic and Cammy Devlin as Neil’s first-choice starter, with the club needing to do all they can to ensure that partnership isn’t broken up in the new year.
With less than two years to run on his deal, there might be an appetite to cash in on Raskin in January, although if the Gers are looking for a marquee sale, there is perhaps another option on the table.
Why struggling Rangers star is still a concern for McInnes
It’s easy to see that Rangers are starting to look more like a McInnes team with each passing week, the Light Blues so defensively sound and stubborn.
The new-look backline, in particular, has been a much-needed change at Ibrox, with the end of Rohl’s tenure notably seeing the club ship two or more goals in each of their final seven Premiership games.
Now, they have since conceded two goals in a game on just two occasions in all competitions this season, those outings coming against Hibernian and Jagellonia.
That’s not to say everything is perfect, even with just two goals conceded in the last six league outings, with the form of Emmanuel Fernandez still a concern.
The former Peterborough man has remained a regular fixture at the heart of the defence, although it does feel like the displays of Olwethu Makhanya are making up for his own, long-standing woes.
Last term, for instance, the 24-year-old perhaps masked his defensive frailties by proving so effective at the other end, scoring six times in all under Rohl’s watch.
As this season has shown, he’s far from the finished article as a traditional centre-back, memorably producing a shoddy showing away at Falkirk earlier in the campaign.
Speaking at the time, ex-Gers star Kris Boyd noted how Fernandez “makes people nervous” around him, with that 2-1 win last month seeing him produce a slack, undercooked back pass at one stage to gift the hosts a potential opening.
Talk surrounding his struggles has quietened down since then, amid Rangers’ winning run, although even against Kilmarnock last time out, the £3m man looked a little bit creaky up against Tyreece John-Jules.
Early on in that clash too, a ball over the top almost led to a chance for Neil McCann’s men, with Joe Hugill having raced clear of Fernandez in behind, only to be let down by an errant touch.
In general this season too, a key issue has been Fernandez’s struggles in possession, having recorded a pass accuracy rate of just 84% across his eight Premiership starts.
He’s also made one error leading to a shot, more than he actually made in the entirety of last season, the Nigerian comfortably outclassed by Makhanya alongside him.
There had been talk over the summer that Fernandez could be in line to leave the club for a record fee, amid interest from the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Bayern Munich.
Perhaps, even amid his less-than-stellar displays, if that interest persists in January, the Gers might look to try and cash in, with there a feeling that the club could still upgrade in that department.
Selling Fernandez for a marquee fee would also ease the need to move on Raskin, ensuring this exit could be a win-win for all concerned.
