Lewis Ferguson tipped to join Rangers in swap deal for Nicolas Raskin, plus transfer fee

Rangers are being continually linked with Bologna star Lewis Ferguson as Nicolas Raskin's future remains uncertain.

The Bears have seen links to Ferguson pick up since Derek McInnes' arrival due to the duo's time together at Aberdeen.

The new Gers boss helped the midfielder develop into a top European talent, who now finds himself at the World Cup with Scotland.

Raskin is also in North America with Belgium, and while the pair will both be hoping for a successful World Cup campaign with their respective countries, their futures remain uncertain at club level.

McInnes could look to add more bite to his midfield this summer, as work behind the scenes continues at Ibrox.

Though Ferguson could be seen as a pipedream signing, Raskin's value could be what's needed to get a deal done, as Ian McCall suggests.

Rangers tipped to do Lewis Ferguson and Nicolas Raskin swap deal

Raskin has already been linked with a move to Italy, with Atalanta said to be keen on him, but the midfielder could still find himself in the Serie A if he were to join Bologna.

Ferguson, on the other hand, is said to be focused on the World Cup with Scotland right now, but will "revaluate" his future at Bologna once he returns to Italy.

Ex-Ibrox midfielder McCall suggested the two could be involved in a potential swap deal between Rangers and Bologna.

McCall told BBC Sportsound, as relayed by The Scotsman: "I am tipping a deal done for a swap with Raskin and Ferguson, and there will be a bit of money involved.

"I think Raskin will go to Bologna and Ferguson will go to Rangers. I think Raskin is worth more than Ferguson. I think Raskin is potentially top-notch."

McCall explained how he sees this as a total hunch of his, but the suggestion that money could be involved would suggest that Rangers could sign Ferguson and be essentially paid for it, if Raskin were to go the other way.

Here's why Ferguson could be cheaper than Raskin

There's an opinion that Raskin may not be the ideal midfielder for McInnes, especially if the former Hearts boss deploys his preferred 4-4-2 system at Ibrox.

That being said, if the 25-year-old were to leave, the Bears will reportedly demand a fee in excess of £20million.

A replacement would then be needed, and given the reports to say Rangers want to sign more homegrown players, the links to Ferguson have naturally come about.

The Scot is entering his final 12 months with Bologna, and so it's hard to see how the Italian side can demand anything near the £20m Rangers will ask for Raskin's sale.

Whether Ferguson is better than Raskin is a different question, but it's one that may develop as the summer window goes on.