Raskin to lead Rangers rebuild in major Kris Boyd transfer claim
Rangers fans are looking forward to a major rebuild of their club this summer, but key players such as Nico Raskin will hopefully still have a part to play.
The takeover from the 49ers group is complete. They’ve hired Russell Martin as manager and promised him a huge transfer warchest.
Everything is in place for the club to put up a tougher fight against Celtic in next year’s Scottish Premiership.
It seems as if everyone has had their say about which players should lead the rebuild at Ibrox. Some Rangers fans still want Cyriel Dessers out of the club, while others think he’s worth keeping around.
Now, former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has shared an interesting opinion on the state of the Rangers squad.
Boyd backs Raskin to play a key role in Rangers revival
Boyd was keen to emphasise that James Tavernier could still play an important role in a new-look Rangers side.
Tavernier, 33, has been an inspiration for Rangers over the last decade, although some have suggested his best days are behind him.
However, Boyd believes that the Gers skipper is one of several players who could reach new levels if the proper investment is made in the playing squad this summer.
Speaking to Football Scotland (11 June), he also listed Raskin and Mohamed Diomande as players who could still go on to thrive in a Rangers shirt as part of this latest rebuild.
He said: “Sometimes when you play with better players, you become better. There are still players there now who will go on to have big Rangers careers.
“Raskin and Diomande have done well enough. If you were to add better players to that, I’m sure they can go on to better things.
“James Tavernier will be one who will be begging that he gets better players around him.”
Martin will need to rely on some of the old Rangers guard
Martin has been promised a sum of around £20million to build a Rangers team in his image this summer.
The Ibrox club have been linked with some promising names already, including Leicester skipper Conor Coady and Dor Turgeman from Israeli champions Maccabi Tel Aviv.
However, it’s unreasonable to expect that the new manager will be able to purchase a brand new starting XI filled with superstars. That’s not a realistic proposition for any team.
He is going to need some of the existing squad members like Tavernier, Raskin and Diomande to step up their game.
| Appearances | Minutes Played | Goals | Assists |
| 45 | 3,589 | 5 | 11 |
Surrounding them with better teammates will help, but Martin will also need to find a set of tactics to get the best out of his players.
These players will have pre-season to prove their worth to their new manager before the serious business starts in August.