Nicolas Raskin at centre of 'ridiculous' Rangers situation amid 'crazy' Celtic whereabouts chatter
Russell Martin hasn't helped himself by leaving Nicolas Raskin out of the Rangers squad.
The midfielder wasn't part of the Scottish manager's plans as Celtic drew 0-0 against the Gers in G51 on 31 August.
Raskin has now been left out of the squad to face Hearts, and now Fenerbahce and Besiktas have set their sights on a last-minute move for the Belgian star, with the transfer window in Turkiye open until just before midnight local time.
Martin may be shooting himself in the foot at Ibrox, and the situation with the former Standard Liege ace will certainly dominate the headlines for the foreseeable future.
This story includes exclusive comments from Gers icon Derek Ferguson.
Russell Martin crazy to leave Nicolas Raskin out of Rangers squad
Raskin's exclusion from the squad against Celtic was "ridiculous", Derek Ferguson says.
The Gers icon feels Martin hasn't dealt with the situation in the right way after an apparent falling out with the Belgium international at Ibrox.
Ferguson suggests the 24-year-old may have been told to stay away from the stadium as he wasn't present at the Old Firm derby.
- Raskin scored his first goal for Belgium against Kazakhstan on 7 September.
- The midfielder made 48 appearances for the Gers last season.
- Martin hasn't started the Belgian star in the last two matches.
Speaking exclusively to Ibrox News, he said: "It's absolutely ridiculous. It's a crazy decision. It's well known Raskin is vocal on the training ground and in the dressing room — I've come across many players like that in the number of years I played. You deal with it as a manager.
"I don't think this is the right way to deal with it. If you're going to leave your best player out against your biggest rivals, that's not something I can get my head around.
"I heard he wasn't even at the Celtic game, which suggests he was told to stay away from the ground. Now you've got to factor in that those in the dressing room are Raskin's friends, who he's with day-to-day. So this story has a bit to run yet."
Nicolas Raskin may leave Ibrox in January
Wolves and Crystal Palace were interested in Raskin in the previous transfer window, and it wouldn't be surprising to see teams from down south make attempts to sign him in January.
The midfielder was arguably the best Rangers player last season, and it's sad to see how the Scottish manager is treating him.
Martin was desperate to sell Raskin last summer, but in the end, the Gers kept him, although the coming hours could prove pivotal amid links to Turkiye.
With the Belgian national hoping to make the squad for the 2026 World Cup, a January exit may well be on the cards.
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