Rangers transfer news: Nicolas Raskin reveals rival offers and eye on Ibrox exit amid Chelsea verdict
Nicolas Raskin chose Rangers over Club Brugge and Genk in his home country because it made sense as a step towards his ultimate goal, he has revealed.
The Belgian midfielder plans on ending up in the English Premier League when he leaves Ibrox, with a particular eye on London giants Chelsea.
One of two signings under Michael Beale so far, along with Todd Cantwell, Raskin is set to be joined by a host of new arrivals this summer, but has made clear he has his exit from Glasgow in mind already.
The January signing told DH les Sports in an interview that came out on Friday (5 May): “My ultimate dream is the Premier League and Chelsea”
As per Glasgow Live he added: “Playing in Scotland struck me as a good intermediate step.
“But Rangers are still a big name in British football. Before they came in for me, I had approaches from Club Brugge and Genk.”
Reality
While it is no real surprise that the 22-year-old has ambitions to play for one of the biggest clubs in England, it is perhaps unusual for him to say it out loud just months after arriving at Ibrox.
He is set to be a key part of the Rangers rebuild with Beale at the helm, so his manager will be hoping that any departure isn’t for some seasons yet.
The former Standard Liege man is young enough to still have time on his side to feature heavily in a Light Blues shirt before moving on.
And, unlike the current situation where there is a dearth of saleable assets in the squad to fund the summer transfer business, the player-trading model dictates that the likes of Raskin be candidates for profit within a few years.
Having arrived for less than £2million as he had just six months left on his contract at Liege, if he proves to be the key man at Ibrox that he has so far looks like being he should bank the club a decent amount if the likes of Chelsea come calling.
However, he reportedly has a 20% sell-on clause [Sacha Tavolieri, 31 January] so whatever money comes in will have to be tempered.
And if it is Stamford Bridge he has his heart set on he will have to hope that the unprecedented Todd-Boehly led splurge hasn’t dried up in the next couple of seasons, after £600million was spent in West London this year only for their season to fall apart.
In other Rangers news, one of Raskin’s teammates has already left Ibrox in a “hugely sad ending” to his season according to Beale.