Nicolas Raskin example exposes Rangers transfer problem as Olwethu Makhanya hits ‘big bucks’ value
Rangers star Olwethu Makhanya has been tipped for a big money exit from Ibrox already.
The South African defender has already sent heads turning in Scotland with how quickly he has adapted.
He was brilliant in Derek McInnes' side's 1-0 win over Celtic on Sunday, and it has led to talk about a big-money departure.
The Gers would surely want a huge profit on the £3million that they paid to Philadelphia Union if he was to depart anytime soon.
It is an issue that may come to the fore in the Govan offices sooner rather than later, if he maintains his current level in the coming weeks.
However, Nicolas Raskin's situation in the summer has exposed a problem for the Bears that may hamper any exit.
What is Rangers transfer dilemma that could hurt Olwethu Makhanya exit?
Andy Newport believes that the Gers are not guaranteed to get the kind of offers they would be hoping for at the moment.
He claimed that they are better off keeping Makhanya around and winning trophies with him in the side, then cashing in afterwards, as Raskin's situation in the summer saw a lack of bidders despite his World Cup antics.
In his latest column in the Daily Record, he said: “This summer has again shown that Rangers struggle to attract the kind of big money bids Celtic regularly deposit in the Parkhead coffers.
“Take Nico Raskin for example. Not even a run to the last eight of the World Cup could tempt serious, sizeable offers for the Belgian international.
“It was only when Rangers won their last league title and reached a Europa League final that following season that the big bucks came flooding in for the likes of Calvin Bassey, Nathan Patterson and Joe Aribo.
“And Makhanya’s value will soar higher and higher if he can embellish his current performances with a couple of winners’ medals.”
It is hard to argue with that big bucks message, and it would benefit all parties for him to stay put with the Light Blues.
Why Makhanya staying put makes sense for Rangers
Makhanya has already endeared himself to the Gers faithful with his performances so far, since arriving from the MLS.
In six matches in the Scottish Premiership, he has averaged seven defensive contributions, with 1.17 tackles, six recoveries and four clearances per match, according to Fotmob data.
Keeping him around for as long as they can should help McInnes' side in their pursuit of trophies, just like Raskin's return to the side has seen them come back into form.
They need to keep their best players and win things, then perhaps they can move them on and find gems who can step into a title-winning side and repeat the process.
It makes no sense to sell on the cheap, they should wait until the players have the medals to increase their value.