Nico Raskin set for ‘perfect’ summer exit from Rangers
Rangers are looking ahead to the summer with the hope of the 49ers Enterprises completing their takeover at Ibrox prior to then.
It has been a slow season for the Gers, although the potential takeover by the American investors will give supporters hope as they look towards the future in Glasgow.
There is set to be plenty of change at Ibrox, both on and off the pitch, in the event of a takeover, but not all of it will be music to the ears of supporters.
Raskin could exit Ibrox
Rangers have been well off the levels of Celtic this season, allowing their arch-rivals to walk easily towards the Scottish Premiership title.
The aim of the takeover will be to push Rangers back towards the top of the table, ensuring they are able to compete once more and hopefully secure some silverware.
Expectations will have to be kept in line, though, as not all change can happen overnight, especially given how much work there is to be done.
Furthermore, while the new investors may have the money to back whoever the boss happens to be, the Bears will have to make sure they stay in line with FFP regulations.
With that in mind, Rangers may have to sanction the sales of some players before they can look to spend money on new faces.
Speaking on the Rangers Review podcast (29 April, 8:00), journalist Jonny McFarlane said that he sees Nico Raskin being subject to that sale.
McFarlane said: “He’s got two years left on his deal and he’s showing no sign of signing a new one. He’s got a history of moving on from clubs towards the end of his contract.
“If you look at how he arrived at Rangers, he had six months to go because he was running his contract down.”
McFarlane continued to say: “This summer is the time to sell Nico Raskin if he doesn’t sign a new deal. It’s that simple.
“You have to sell him in the summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal and you can get significant cash for him as a Belgian international.
“He might have reached the point, given his age, given his emergence on the international stage, where it’s the perfect time to sell him.”
Rangers have to offload in order to develop
Raskin has been one of the better players at Rangers this season and has consistently shown high levels of effort to put his body on the line for his side.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 28 | 1 | 6 |
However, as McFarlane says, this could be exactly the type of deal that the 49ers have to be prepared to get done to benefit the Gers in the long run.
Given he has two years left on his contract, this is an optimal time to cash in on someone who is potentially entering their best years and showing no signs of committing his future to Ibrox longer than he already has.
Rangers can only progress if they are in the right financial state to do so and a deal like this could make all the difference.